Could Jac Caglianone Be the Underdog Rookie Catalyst That Propels a Team to the Playoffs?

Witt’s new locker mate, uber-prospect Jac Caglianone, would have to wait one more day to try to collect his first MLB hit. The much-heralded prospect – Caglianone was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft – had slugged his way through Kansas City’s minor league system and earned his spot in the big leagues, but went 0 for 5 in his debut Tuesday night.
“You knew it was gonna happen at some point this year, so just seeing him and just seeing his presence is great,” Witt said. “It’s amazing just to see who he is as a person and how he’s just so even-keel. It’s not only the power display as the player, just who he is as a person. He’s just himself. He’s not trying to do anything more, not trying to do less. He’s just, he’s Jac Caglianone when he hits the field. And when he gets off the field, he’s the same guy.”

The post Jac Out of the Box: Will Caglianone Become the Latest Rookie to Help a Team Reach the Postseason? appeared first on Opta Analyst.

The Royals have the pieces to make another run toward the postseason – entering Thursday’s action, the Opta Analyst projection model gave them a 44.4% chance of advancing to it – but the offense needs an upgrade. They’re last in the AL in runs scored and last in the majors in home runs (in fact, seven behind the 29th-place Pirates in that category).

Can Jac Caglianone do the same for the Royals?

The Kansas City Royals have lacked punch in the 2025 MLB season, so the call-up of Jac Caglianone is viewed as a way to get the offense on track. Other rookies have flourished in recent years after June arrivals. Here’s what the Royals hope a jolt would look like.

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“I remember seeing him his first day in spring in BP,” Witt said with a grin. “It’s just … different. It was different. He was hitting balls to left field that righties hit. So then you’re like, ‘All right, well that’s BP.’ And then it’s like, ‘All right, he’s doing in the games.’ And then, ‘Well, he’s doing against big league pitching. Now this is impressive.’”

Caglianone started the season with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, posting a .322 average and .947 OPS with more RBIs (43) than games played (38). Promoted to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, all Caglianone did was pop six homers in 12 games, with a .370 on-base percentage and 1.094 OPS. With the Royals offense sputtering at the major league level, the decision was made to call up Caglianone.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound size stepping into the batter’s box draws attention, and Royals fans have been eagerly anticipating the first baseman/outfielder’s arrival. Caglianone created a stir during spring training with an array of monstrous home runs, including a 444-foot blast against Milwaukee’s Aaron Civale.

Want to know what the Royals think of Caglianone’s future with the franchise? Let’s put it this way: Most rookies aren’t given a locker right next to the team’s superstar (Witt) and also in proximity to other lineup stalwarts such as Vinnie Pasquantino and Jonathan India.

But for his teammates, that was just a continuation of what they had seen for weeks.

Bobby Witt, Jr., smiled as he was asked about the rookie occupying the locker next to his on Wednesday, moments after he’d learned his Royals’ game against the Cardinals that evening was going to be cancelled and rescheduled as a doubleheader on Thursday.

The Royals and their fans are excited to see what the rookie can do. For context, following are a few other rookies over the past decade who made their MLB debuts after June 1 and helped their teams reach the postseason.

That’s where Caglianone really has a chance to make an impact.

Kyle Schwarber, Cubs

• MLB Debut: June 16, 2016
• Cubs Before: 34-27 (.557), third place in NL Central (7.0 games back)
• Cubs After: 63-38 (.624), finished 3.0 back
• Schwarber’s Season Stats: 69 games, 16 home runs, 43 RBIs, .842 OPS
• Notable: Schwarber, who had a .430 on-base percentage and 16 homers in the minors at the time of his call-up, made a pretty immediate impact; he went 4 for 5 in his first start, popped two homers in his 11th career MLB game, and was batting .330 with eight homers, 25 RBIs and a 1.042 OPS through his first 31 games (the Cubs were 20-11 in those contests). He was the left-handed power source the lineup needed (sound familiar, Royals fans?). Oh, and he hit five homers in the postseason as the Cubs made a run all the way to the NLCS, a preamble to their 2016 World Series title.

Yordan Alvarez, Astros

• MLB Debut: June 9, 2019
• Astros Before: 44-22 (.667), first place in AL West
• Astros After: 63-33 (.656), won AL West
• Alvarez’s Season Stats: 87 games, 27 home runs, 78 RBIs, .313/.412/.655, 1.067 OPS
• Notable: Unlike some of the call-ups on this list, Alvarez didn’t exactly join a team that was scuffling; these Astros were already a dynamic World Series contender. Adding Alvarez to the mix – he had 23 homers in 56 games in Triple-A, then homered in four of his first five MLB games – was more of an “embarrassment of riches” type of situation.

Tommy Edman, Cardinals

• MLB Debut: June 8, 2019
• Cardinals Before: 31-30 (.508), third place in NL Central (3.5 games back)
• Cardinals After: 60-41 (.594), won NL Central
• Edman’s Season Stats: 92 games, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, 15 SBs, .304 average, .850 OPS
• Notable: One day before Alvarez, here came Edman to MLB. Obviously, he isn’t a slugger like Caglianone, but the Royals would love to see a similar impact on the team’s win-loss record. A versatile defender, Edman mostly came off the bench early that season, but he worked his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis, primarily at second or third base. With Edman playing every day – he hit .350 with a .997 OPS from Aug. 16 to the end of the season – the Cardinals found their stride and won the division title by two games over the Brewers.

The Kansas City Royals have been stuck in a bit of a funk this 2025 MLB season, with their offense barely whispering when it should be roaring. Enter Jac Caglianone—a towering 6-foot-5 powerhouse freshly called up, seen by many as the much-needed jolt to electrify the lineup. It’s not often a rookie gets the nod to claim a locker right next to a superstar like Bobby Witt, Jr., and frankly, that sets the stage for some serious expectations. But can Caglianone follow in the footsteps of recent June-call-up heroes who flipped their teams’ fortunes and sparked postseason pushes? Royals fans are buzzing, hopeful that this slugger will bring the fireworks they’ve been craving—but will the rookie’s bat come alive when it counts? Time will tell if this newcomer is the spark plug the Royals need or just a flash in the pan. Ready to dig into what could be a game-changing chapter in Kansas City’s season? LEARN MORE
“Oh, 100 percent,” Witt said. “It’s amazing, a spark plug, for sure. It’s just one of those things where you know that having a guy like that, it’s going to be special, what he brings to the table for us.”