Former Florida baseball standout Jac Caglianone has found a groove during his sophomore campaign with the Kansas City Royals.
The outfielder and first baseman, who was selected with the sixth overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Royals, started slowly during his rookie campaign, putting up a .157 batting average along with a .237 on-base percentage and a .295 slugging percentage for a .532 OPS (49 OPS+) over his first 60 big league games in 2025. However, he has taken a major step toward fulfilling his immense potential in 2026.
This summer, the left-handed slugger is slashing .251/.311/.446 for a solid .757 OPS (113 OPS+) with 16 home runs and 38 RBIs, while striking out 109 times against 27 walks. The Tampa, Florida, native's batting average
on balls in play sits at .317 — which is a bit higher than league average — while his wRC+ comes in at 108, painting the picture of a positive offensive contributor.
According to Statcast, Caglianone is among the top 90th percentile in four offensive categories: hard-hit percentage (98th), bat speed (97th), average exit velocity (96th) and barrel percentage (92nd). Overall, his batting run value places in the 69th percentile while his baserunning run value is in the 76th percentile.
In the field, Caglianone rates poorly overall with a fielding run value in the 17th percentile and a fielding range (based on outs above average) in the sixth percentile, per Statcast. However, the former pitcher predictably ranks well when it comes to throwing the ball, with his arm strength rated as the best in the majors (100th percentile) and an arm value that lands in the 83rd percentile.
Despite the former Gators' improvements, the Royals have struggled significantly this season. As of Thursday, July 30, Kansas City sits in the American League Central cellar with a 46-63 record — five games behind the fourth-place Detroit Tigers and 11 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox — placing the team just four games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in the majors.
Jac Caglianone at the 2026 Home Run Derby
Caglianone participated in the 2026 Home Run Derby during the All-Star break, crushing eight home runs at the event. His total may sound a bit on the sparse side — especially given that it was not enough to crack the top four and advance to the second round — but it was still one more than New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, while tying Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper and landing one less than White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami.
Jac Caglianone to the UPPER DECK 😱 pic.twitter.com/ORKc3ZEIRu
— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2026
Despite the early exit, he tied for the hardest-hit ball of the night at 116 mph with Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, who did it twice in the first round.
Jac Caglianone's MLB career stats
Over the course of his 162 major league games played — which works out to an even full regular season of play — Caglianone has put up a .216/.283/.390 slash line for a .673 OPS (88 OPS+), with 23 home runs and 56 RBIs, while striking out 161 times against 45 walks. He also has four stolen bases in five tries so far.
On defense, he has posted a .987 fielding percentage with 410 putouts and 29 assists, along with six errors in 445 chances.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Checking in on Florida alumnus Jac Caglianone's 2026 MLB season
