KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2014 Underneath that Royals blue, Jac Caglianone is about as Tampa as they come.<\/p>\n
Born there, schooled there, lives there. <\/p>\n
Grew up watching the Rays, wearing No. 14 in part for David Price. <\/p>\n
Played baseball for Dennis Braun at Plant High, works out with some of the legacy stars such as Pete Alonso and Kyle Tucker, draws on some of the others for advice, such as Jake Woodford and Mychal Givens.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Braun built such a good culture there that a lot of the big leaguers come back,\u201d Caglianone (pronounced \u201ccag-lee-ohn\u201d) said Wednesday in the Royals clubhouse. \u201cPete would come and talk to us. Kyle was always there hitting. It was cool just to be around them. And I was like, that\u2019s what I want to do, that\u2019s what I want to be. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, it means a lot. I take a lot of pride in being from Tampa and being a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
A left arm injury during his senior year that required Tommy John surgery left Caglianone undrafted and headed to the University of Florida. <\/p>\n
Jac Caglianone singles during a game against the Yankees earlier this month in Kansas City. The Royals have been impressed with his production and determination since they drafted him sixth overall in 2024. [\u00a0TAMMY LJUNGBLAD | Kansas City Star\/TNS\u00a0]<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody wants to sign out of high school; who wants to do three more years of school?\u201d he said. \u201cWhen that (injury) happened, it was a surprise, never really had any arm problems. …<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it was like, dang, I\u2019ve got to be here for three years, I\u2019m injured, I don\u2019t know what college is going to look like. And it ended up being the best thing ever. I wouldn\u2019t trade it for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three stellar seasons with the Gators (the last two as a pitcher and first baseman) launched him into pro ball as one of the game\u2019s top prospects.<\/p>\n
Caglianone, 22, took it from there.<\/p>\n
Drafted sixth overall last year<\/a>, Caglianone got a sampling of pro ball between High Class A and the Arizona Fall League. He then came out this season and swung his way to the majors.<\/p>\n He played six weeks in Double A (hitting .322 with nine homers, 43 RBIs and a .947 OPS in 38 games), spent two weeks in Triple A (hitting .319 with six homers, 13 RBIs and a 1.094 OPS in 12 games), and on June 3 \u2014 after a crash course learning to play the outfield \u2014 made his major-league debut.<\/p>\n What seems like a blur, Caglianone said, is \u201ca great feeling. It\u2019s everything I dreamed of.\u201d<\/p>\n Since they drafted him on July 14, the Royals have been impressed not only with what he does on the baseball field, but the determined manner in which he does it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat bat will play at any level,\u201d said Royals special assistant Rusty Kuntz, the veteran big-league coach who led Caglianone\u2019s outfield conversion. It looked pretty good Wednesday, as he made a diving catch in the fifth inning to quell a Rays rally.<\/p>\n Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter<\/p>\n We\u2019ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida\u2019s college football teams every day.<\/p>\n You\u2019re all signed\u00a0up!<\/p>\n Want more of our free, weekly newsletters\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0inbox? Let\u2019s\u00a0get\u00a0started.<\/p>\n Explore all your options<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s this relentless search to be a better ballplayer,\u201d Kuntz continued. \u201cHe\u2019s one of those special guys that comes along once every blue moon. What he does is make a difference on a ballclub. He has the \u2018it\u2019 factor.\u201d<\/p>\n That Caglianone is off to a slow start \u2014 hitting .186 with two homers, four RBIs and a .554 OPS \u2014 is not surprising, given his limited pro experience (79 games, 355 plate appearances in the minors) and accelerated progression.<\/p>\n Nor is it particularly concerning.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, I feel like everything\u2019s just a learning experience and getting the experience, getting acclimated,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel comfortable. I feel confident. A lot of time stuff doesn\u2019t go your way, but that\u2019s baseball. Keep your head down, keep working hard, and everything kind of works out. …<\/p>\n \u201cThe numbers might not show it, but I\u2019m in a good spot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter<\/a> to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.<\/p>\n Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast<\/a> to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.<\/p>\n Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\nJac Caglianone celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run Thursday against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas. \u201cHe\u2019s one of those special guys that comes along once every blue moon,” Royals special assistant Rusty Kuntz said. [\u00a0RICHARD RODRIGUEZ | TNS\u00a0]Stay updated on Tampa Bay\u2019s sports scene<\/p>\n