From Kansas City Royals On SI · · 2m
Jac Caglianone Breakout Powers Royals
Jac Caglianone's 2026 power surge makes Royals' best offensive threat in years.
In brief
Jac Caglianone's 2026 power surge makes Royals' best offensive threat in years. Jac Caglianone's 2026 breakout gives Royals their strongest power threat in years. Originally reported by Kansas City Royals On SI.
Royals Power History
The Royals and power hitting have never been a consistent combo throughout their history.
Power Hitters
George Brett and Salvador Perez are the only Royals with 300+ career home runs with the team.
2026 Breakout
Jac Caglianone slashed .289/.340/.494 for an OPS of .834 and a wRC+ of 129.
Baseball Savant Percentiles
Caglianone ranks above 88th percentile in barrel rate, average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and bat speed.
Pete Alonso Comparison
Caglianone put together a similar offensive profile to Pete Alonso in 2026.
Batted Ball Profile
Caglianone had a line drive rate of 28.7% and a fly ball rate of 22.8%.
Pull Air Rate
Caglianone improved his pull air rate to 20.1% for power generation.
Pitch Hitting Improvement
Caglianone hit fastballs at .296, breaking pitches at .279, and off-speed at .286.
Run Value Improvement
Caglianone's run values improved from -5 on 4-seam fastballs to 7 and -4 on sliders to 13.
Strikeout Rate
Caglianone struck out 26.0% of the time with a walk rate of 6.0%.
Walk Rate Variability
Caglianone's walk rate varied from 9.1% to 6.7% to 9.4% across months.
K-Rate Trend
When Caglianone walked more than 6%, his K-rate averaged 29.2%.
Aggressive Swing Rate
Caglianone increased swing rate from 51.7% to 60.2% by halftime.
Launch Angle
Caglianone's launch angle was 7.7 degrees with a sweet spot of 33.9%.
Defensive Rating
Caglianone had -4 DRS, -7 FRV, and -9 OAA in right field.
Arm Strength
Caglianone has 100th-percentile arm strength with 98.7 mph throws.
Positional Debate
Royals debate whether Caglianone stays in right field or moves to first base.
2027 Outlook
Caglianone will lead Royals in most power categories heading into 2027.
The takeaway
Jac Caglianone's 2026 breakout gives Royals their strongest power threat in years.
