Jac Caglianone is gone, but this KC Royals farm club is still worth watching closely

Bringing minor league phenom Jac Caglianone to the majors thrust the Kansas City Royals into baseball's center ring, where they're bound to remain while their No. 1 prospect proves whether he's truly ready for big league pitching. Thanks to Caglianone, and the team's bounce back after a dismal week, the game's eyes are glued to the Royals.

Logic suggests that the same can't be said for the Omaha Storm Chasers, with whom Caglianone spent 12 games so thoroughly thrashing Triple-A pitching that the Royals deemed him worthy of a call-up to the majors. Without Caglianone, who quickly became the star of the Omaha show, interest in KC's storied top minor league club might wane.

But that shouldn't be the case. The Chasers, who lost to Durham on Wednesday, have won seven of their last 11, and have plenty to offer and plenty to watch.

MJ Melendez is fighting to make it back to the KC Royals

On April 19. with his ugly .085/.173/.170 line crying out for immediate remedial action, Melendez found himself headed to Omaha, a place offering a less pressurized haven within which to search for the form that allowed him to slam 41 homers during the 2021 minor league season. But even back at Omaha, where the pitching isn't as good as it is in the majors, Melendez struggled, batting .104 in April.

Things seem to be changing for the better, though. The former KC left fielder isn't homering like he did four years ago, but while not great is still hitting an improved .217 with a team-leading 10 RBI in 16 June games. The seven homers he's hit at Omaha are on par with the 16 per season average he carried into the current big league campaign.

Worth watching? Certainly. Only time will tell if Melendez can get back on the road to Kansas City, but his battle to do so is more interesting than it was a few weeks ago.

Cam Devanney is closing in on a spot with the Royals...or maybe another club

Caglianone's sudden early June departure didn't leave Omaha without an exciting bat. Through Wednesday, Devanney, a second baseman at heart whose future probably hinges on defensive versatility and offensive production, is slashing .271/.370/.523 with a .893 OPS, 12 home runs, and 42 RBI despite a recent 3-for-27 slump. The sound of his season numbers must be getting louder in Kansas City, where Caglianone won't be the sole solution to a problematic offense. Devanney should be getting closer to Kauffman Stadium with every hit.

But there could be another end to his path to the majors. While the Royals could use him in Kansas City, his value is probably high enough to tempt them to shop him at the July 31 trade deadline ... if they're still in contention. Sacrificing Devanney will hurt, but a fair return could help boost the club back into postseason play.

A hot reliever is biding his time at Omaha, but for how long?

There was nothing disturbingly wrong with Evan Sisk's pitching when the Royals demoted him to the Storm Chasers in late May. He'd walked two, given up a hit, and uncorked a wild pitch in a third-of-an-inning stint against Cincinnati the night before — a short effort having absolutely no bearing on Kansas City's 7-2 loss to the Reds and former Royal Brady Singer — but he owned a sparkling 1.69 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 5.1 innings when the club sent him down the next day.

The promising lefty reliever who, along with current Royal Steven Cruz, came to the Royals via the 2023 winter trade that sent Michael A. Taylor to Minnesota, is dominating opposing batters — in 16.1 innings for the Storm Chasers this season, he's surrendered only one earned run (0.55 ERA) and two walks, has 19 strikeouts, and boasts an excellent 1.04 WHIP.

Sisk is a lock to return to Kansas City at some point this season. How he performs for Omaha until then will help make the Storm Chasers well worth watching.