Did KC Royals add the next Shohei Ohtani? Florida Gators expert weighs in.

The 2024 MLB Draft is showing KC Royals fans what this new draft room is all about as executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo shapes this farm system further. The draft started with a bang for the Royals when Florida slugger Jac Caglianone unexpectedly fell out of the top-five selections. Picollo and company did not overthink the selection and drafted Caglianone sixth overall. It was a welcome surprise and likely gave Kansas City a new top prospect.

The collegiate two-way player's impact in the minors remains to be seen, but that shouldn't stop Royals fans from dreaming a bit. We checked in with Hail Florida Hail's Benjamin Henderson, covering all things Florida Gators. Let's hear from Henderson about why Royals fans should be excited about Caglianone.

1. How did Jac Caglianone change his game or approach from 2022 to 2023?

As a true freshman in 2022, he was coming off Tommy John surgery during high school, which was one of the reasons he wasn't drafted straight out of high school. Florida didn’t have the greatest of seasons in 2022 by their standards, and so, in typical coach Kevin O’Sullivan style, he started plugging in guys like Caglianone towards the end to see who could swim and who would sink.

Caglianone did fine enough as a true freshman, but once he was fully healthy in 2023, it became apparent Florida had something special on their hands. I wouldn't say he changed his approach between the two years; more so, he was healed and able to add on muscle to help the balls fly off the bat.

2. Why should KC Royals fans believe in him?

Florida has a history of getting guys to the big leagues more often than not. Obviously, former Gator Brady Singer’s journey with the Royals has taken a bit longer to materialize, but guys like Pete Alonso and Wyatt Langford have transitioned from Florida into full-fledged stars in the MLB.

Part of that is because the SEC as a whole has really upped their investment in college baseball, so guys coming out of college are far more ready-made for the big leagues than they were even ten years ago.

I say all that to say that given Caglianone's dominance these past couple of seasons, there is reason to believe it will translate to the majors sooner rather than later.

3. On a scale of 1–10, how much did Caglianone carry the Florida Gators team during his collegiate career? Why?

If we are talking about the 2023 season, probably like a 5. He was more the Robin to Wyatt Langford being Batman, and he spent the 2023 season as the protection in the lineup for Langford. Combined with Florida's pitching staff from 2023 being solid, there wasn't much pressure on Caglianone, who needed to be the sole guy to carry the Gators.

If we are talking about 2024, it's closer to a 9.5 out of 10. Florida's pitching was a mess for the bulk of the season, and Caglianone had next to zero protection in the lineup. By season's end, he was getting the Barry Bonds treatment and was getting walked intentionally, even if there were guys on first base.

4. What is one overlooked issue you see with Jac or his game?

In part because he was getting the Barry Bonds treatment, he was so amped up at times to swing the bat that he was prone to overswing and chase some pitches that even MJ Melendez could lay off.

In addition, as much as he was a two-way player and being a pitcher is a backup plan, I don't know that his pitching would make it in the MLB. He had fastball command issues during the 2023 season, and his fastball velocity fell off a cliff by the end of the 2024 season.

5. What is one underrated strength of Jac or his game?

While first base is the position he projects to play in the big leagues, he has enough athleticism that some have said he could play right field if needed at the next level.

He also has a bit of an edge to him at times. There was a moment during the 2023 season where Florida had a pitcher ejected for celebrating because we aren't allowed to have fun in college. Caglianone hit a home run later in the game and "celebrated" by walking to home plate like a stiff robot so that it was clear he "wasn't celebrating." This past year, during the Super Regionals against Clemson, he had a collision, tagging the runner while fielding a bunt. Let's just say Caglianone didn't back down at that moment.

Thanks to Benjamin for reaching out moments after the selection. He had some questions of his own that I answered. You can read my responses here.

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