Jac Caglianone is proving it's time for Royals to take next step with him at the plate

The Kansas City Royals got an up-close and personal look at what happens when a team rushes its young players to The Show. The Los Angeles Angels have pushed players like shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel far beyond their peers, and the results have not exactly been resounding successes. The Royals have a few youngsters on their big-league roster, and 2024 first-rounder Jac Caglianone fits the bill as a high-upside player hoping to join the Royals' core.

Kansas City pushed him to the big leagues less than a year after drafting him, thanks in part to a desperate need for bats and Caglianone lighting up his minor-league competition. But Caglianone hit a stout wall once he reached the majors, using up his rookie status in unremarkable fashion and losing some of his luster. Now, in 2026, Caglianone is putting that behind him in emphatic fashion at the plate. His towering two-run shot at Kauffman Stadium reminded fans of the power they so desperately want to see produce more balls over the right-field fence. That hit alone capped a Royals comeback from six runs down and helped lead to the eventual win and first sweep of the season.

But one school of baseball thought says Caglianone should not have even been in that position in the first place. He shouldn't have been riding the pine to start the game just because a southpaw was starting the game on the mound.

The Royals have somewhat protected Caglianone this season from starting left-handed pitching, as he has only two starts this season against lefties. But that flies in the face of him facing southpaws in 23 plate appearances and posting a .227/.261/.455 line, good for a .715 OPS, plus that impactful home run.

Call it recency bias. Call it a small sample. Call it what you will. But this should be the catalyst for Caglianone to see more opportunities against left-handed starters.

Caglianone has become one of the Royals's most reliable bats in 2026

Caglianone continually gets pushed down or out of the lineup to protect him from that situation. But if he is succeeding, even marginally, why protect him? The OPS may not jump off the page, but it is still above league average for left-handed batters facing left-handed pitching. Caglianone has performed head and shoulders better than catcher Carter Jensen and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, but both players have more plate appearances against southpaws than Caglianone does.

This is not to say that Caglianone will certainly carry this performance across the whole season. No, that would be foolish to proclaim. But Royals fans know that if Caglianone is going to be more than a serviceable starter at the plate, he has to get there by being more well-rounded. His improved process at the plate and consistent exit velocities show Caglianone is trending in the right direction. But to be an everyday player, a hitter needs to be able to handle both sides of pitching. If the Royals do not give him those opportunities, how will they ever know for sure?

Caglianone is certainly getting work in this area behind the scenes, and the tools are there to help him develop against left-handed pitchers outside of game situations. But pay off that hard work, pay off that real production, pay off that hope with more leash in the lineup. Please, Matt Quatraro.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow