The Royals hit 170 home runs in 2026, tied for the second-most in club history and eleven more than last year. There were plenty of impressive and memorable blasts along the way, from towering shots to clutch home runs in big moments. Here are the best of the bunch.
April 26 vs. the Angels – Jac ties it up, Lane Thomas walks it off
Okay, technically this is two home runs. The Royals got down 6-0 early on against the Angels on a nationally televised broadcast, but clawed their way back amid a 90 minute rain delay. They still trailed by three in the ninth inning when
Vinnie Pasquantino tripled (more unlikely than any home run!) and Salvador Perez singled. Jac Caglianone launched a ball 409 feet right down the right field line to tie things up and give the Royals new life.
The Royals bullpen coughed up the lead again in the tenth (shocker!) With two outs, Maikel Garcia walked to put two runners on for lefty-killer Lane Thomas to face southpaw Joey Lucchesi. Thomas put one in the seats to send everyone home, wet and happy.
May 9 vs. the Tigers – Bobby hits an inside-the-parker
Fans were still settling into their seats in the first inning of a May game against the Tigers when Bobby decided to start the show. He laced a liner up the right-field line that Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter misplayed. Bobby decided to touch ‘em all. With a sprint speed of 30.4 feet per second, Bobby went from home to third in 10.91 seconds for an inside-the-park home run.
July 2 vs. the Rays – Carter Jensen leads off with the longest home run of the season
Matt Quatraro moved Carter Jensen into the leadoff spot in late May, and it seemed to help get him going. He hit .249/.332/.529 as a leadoff hitter, and only seven teams hit more home runs out of the leadoff spot.
Jensen showed off that leadoff power in a July game against the Rays, when he crushed a first inning pitch from lefty Ian Seymour 449 feet, the longest home run of the season by any Royals hitter.
July 13 – Jac Caglianone goes third deck in the Home Run Derby
By midsummer, the baseball world was beginning to recognize that the Royals had a prodigious power hitter in their lineup in Jac Caglianone. He wasn’t selected as an All-Star, but he was invited to All-Star Weekend to participate in the Home Run Derby, becoming just the fifth Royals hitter ever invited to the event. With his father, Jeff, pitching to him, Caglianone put on a show, launching eight home runs before being eliminated in the first round. He may not have advanced, but he gave us some memorable blasts, including this triple-decker in Philadelphia.
July 25 vs. the Tigers – Salvy breaks the club home run record
Salvy has hit a lot of home runs in a Royals uniform. And now, he has more than anyone in team history.
In a July game in Detroit, Salvy hit career home run #318, passing George Brett for most by a Royals hitter.
Salvy would end the season with 324 career home runs, tying Gary Carter and Lance parrish for fifth-most all-time by a catcher. He also hit 21 home runs for the year, making him just the fifth catcher ever with ten 20+ home run seasons, joining Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Brian McCann, and Yogi Berra.
August 8 vs. the Cubs – Cags goes very deep twice
Jac Caglianone was on fire in August, hitting .411 for the month. In an August game against the Cubs, he set off first inning fireworks with a 448-foot blast off Clay Holmes.
Not content with one dinger, he got greedy with another home run, this time off Colin Rea.
The blast gave him his first 20-home run season and helped earn him American League Player of the Month honors for August.
Did I miss one? What was your favorite Royals home run of the year?
