Jac Caglianone Bio
Jeffrey Alan “Jac” Caglianone is an American professional baseball right fielder and first baseman for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Caglianone played college baseball for the Florida Gators as a first baseman and pitcher, establishing himself as one of the most productive two-way players in recent NCAA history. He was selected by the Royals with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Jac Caglianone grew up in Tampa, Florida, and attended Henry B. Plant High School, where he developed into a highly regarded two-way prospect. As a junior in 2020, he played in Perfect Game’s All-American Classic in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was named a Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-American and the MLB Network/SiriusXM Two-Way Player of the Year. As a senior, he batted .371 with three home runs and posted a 2.44 ERA with two saves and 65 strikeouts over 37+1/3 innings pitched.
In high school, Caglianone was a two-pitch pitcher who featured a mid-90s fastball projected to average 94 miles per hour and measured at up to 97-98 miles per hour, along with a slurve-like curveball, while his throws across the diamond as a first baseman were projected to reach 90 miles per hour. After his senior season, Caglianone tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow while playing in a postseason All-Star game and subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery, an injury that would shape the early arc of his career.
Path to Baseball
Caglianone initially planned on redshirting his freshman season at Florida while recovering from his elbow operation, but ultimately played as a designated hitter and batted .288 with seven home runs. He returned to pitching during Florida’s fall practices in 2022 and entered his sophomore season as both a starting pitcher and the Gators’ starting first baseman. He was named the NCBWA Player of the Month for February after collecting 15 hits in 35 at-bats with seven home runs and striking out 15 batters over 11+1/3 innings pitched.
During his sophomore year, Caglianone broke Florida’s single-season home run record after hitting his 27th home run of the year and finished with 33. In his junior year in 2024, he hit home runs in nine straight games, including one against Jacksonville that traveled an estimated 516 feet, tying the NCAA record for most home runs hit in consecutive games. Caglianone also surpassed Matt LaPorta for the most career home runs by a Florida player, finishing with 75, and during the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, his opponents frequently used a defensive shift with the third baseman positioned as a fourth outfielder.
Jac Caglianone Career
Minor League Career (2024-2025)
Caglianone was drafted by the Kansas City Royals with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He signed with the Royals on July 23 and received a $7.21 million signing bonus. Caglianone was assigned to the Quad Cities River Bandits of the High-A Midwest League to begin his professional career.
For the 2025 season, Caglianone was promoted to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Double-A Texas League, opting to focus on his development as a position player rather than pitch at the professional level. On April 10, he recorded a single that at the time was the 12th-hardest-hit ball ever recorded during the Statcast era, and on April 25, he played in right field, his first outfield appearance in college or the minor leagues. On May 18, Caglianone was promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Triple-A International League; in 38 games with Northwest Arkansas, he hit .322/.394/.553, with eight doubles, nine home runs, and 43 runs batted in, drawing 19 walks and striking out 37 times in 175 plate appearances.
Kansas City Royals Era (2025-Present)
On June 2, 2025, Caglianone was promoted to the majors, and he made his debut on June 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals, going 0-for-5. He picked up his first hit with a double that drove in a run in the top of the fourth inning on June 5 in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals. On June 8, Caglianone recorded his first multi-hit game and four-hit game against the Chicago White Sox, going 4-for-4 with three singles and a double in a Royals 7-5 victory, becoming the seventh MLB rookie with a 4-hit game in 2025.
Caglianone hit his first major league home run on June 19 against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, and another home run a few innings later resulted in his first multi-homer game. He injured his left hamstring in late July, sending him to the injured list; before the injury, he was batting .148 with five home runs.
Notable Events and Milestones
Caglianone’s first multi-homer game on June 19, 2025, against the Texas Rangers marked a clear power breakthrough at the major league level, building on his college record of 75 career home runs at Florida. His nine-game NCAA home run streak in 2024, including a 516-foot blast against Jacksonville, remains one of the defining offensive stretches of his amateur career.
Jac Caglianone Career Highlights
Across his college and professional career, Jac Caglianone has compiled a résumé defined by elite power hitting and ongoing position versatility, moving from first base to right field in 2025. His minor league production with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Omaha Storm Chasers, combined with his rapid promotion through the Royals system, underscores his standing as a top-tier prospect.
Jac Caglianone Family
Personal Life
Caglianone is of Italian descent through his father. In April 2025, he was named the official ambassador of the Italian American Baseball Foundation.
2025 Season Performance
Jac Caglianone’s 2025 season has been a story of aggressive promotion and adjustment at the highest level. After opening the year in Double-A with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, where he posted a .322/.394/.553 line with nine home runs and 43 runs batted in, he moved up to Triple-A Omaha and batted .319 with six home runs in 12 games, hitting home runs in four consecutive games before his call-up to the majors.
His major league debut on June 3, 2025, against the St. Louis Cardinals was followed by quick offensive highlights, including his first hit, first multi-hit game, and first multi-homer game within his first month in the big leagues. A left hamstring injury in late July landed him on the injured list, interrupting a development track that had already seen him log time at first base and right field.
Looking ahead, Caglianone’s outlook for the remainder of 2025 centers on returning healthy, refining his approach against major league pitching, and continuing to add outfield experience in right field. The Royals’ decision to develop him primarily as a position player, rather than a two-way contributor, signals a long-term plan built around his bat and growing defensive profile.