The initial phase of Kansas City Royals newcomer Jac Caglianone’s Major League Baseball journey has presented certain challenges, but his capacity to deliver powerful hits remains evident.
That innate strength was notably displayed on Wednesday, when he launched a 466-foot home run over the batter’s eye, courtesy of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bailey Falter. This impressive hit, registering a speed of 110.8 mph as it left the bat, gave the Royals a 3-0 advantage.
It marked the fourth home run in Caglianone’s 32-game career.
According to Baseball Savant, this home run is currently ranked as the tenth-longest hit in MLB this season and stands as the second-longest by a rookie player, surpassed only by Denzel Clarke’s 471-foot hit for the Athletics on July 4. Furthermore, it holds the distinction of being the tenth-longest home run measured by Statcast at Kauffman Stadium.
Selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Caglianone began this season recognized as a top-tier prospect and debuted in MLB in early June, following successful stints in both Double-A and Triple-A. However, the major leagues have presented a different set of challenges, with Caglianone’s performance falling below expectations, requiring a series of strong performances to reach a .200 batting average. It took him a couple weeks to record his first big-league home run.
At the age of 22, Caglianone has ample opportunity for further development, and his underlying metrics are more encouraging than his surface statistics. Based on xBA and xSLG, Baseball Savant’s metrics estimating batting average and slugging percentage based on batted-ball data, he should have been batting .249 and slugging .432 entering Wednesday’s game. He has experienced unfavorable luck on batted balls, reflected in a .163 batting average on balls in play (BABIP).
Despite this, the Royals had envisioned a more impactful start for a player regarded as a potential star slugger. With a record of 45-48, Kansas City entered Wednesday trailing by only 3.5 games in the AL wild-card standings, highlighting the significance of a struggling rookie compared to a reliable first baseman.
Wednesday’s game served as a reminder of the potential the Royals are seeking. It remains to be seen whether Caglianone will deliver further displays of his capabilities in the upcoming games.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/royals-jac-caglianone-flashes-power-potential-with-466-foot-hr-021511549.html
