Jac Caglianone didn’t take home the trophy, but his Home Run Derby debut left no doubt about the power that has made him one of baseball’s fastest-rising names. The Royals slugger became just the sixth player in franchise history to appear in the event, stepping into the box at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night amid the kind of buzz Kansas City hasn’t felt for the Derby in a long time.
The 23-year-old put up eight first-round home runs, a total that fell short of the second round and the top four. It was still a show. None of his blasts were cheap ones, with the shortest traveling 405 feet and the longest reaching 477. Half of his homers cleared 460 feet, and three-quarters went past 430, including an upper-deck shot that ranked among the night’s most memorable swings. He flashed a little rookie rawness on the big stage, but the raw power that made him a top prospect was on full display, and there’s every reason to think he earns another crack at the event down the road.
What It Means for Kansas City
The Derby was a bright spot in a season short on them. The Royals hold a share of the worst record in baseball, and with roughly 65 games left, an October push isn’t in the cards even in a wide-open American League. The rest of the schedule is about figuring out what this group has heading into 2027, the year many expected them to contend once this season began.
Caglianone is at the center of that evaluation. After a slow start, he has turned into a revelation, looking at times like the Royals’ best hitter over the last several weeks. He slid into the No. 3 spot when Vinnie Pasquantino went down with an injury and held it, and among Royals with at least 200 plate appearances he now trails only Bobby Witt Jr. in both wRC+ and OPS.
The bat is finally matching the hype that followed him as he tore through the minors last year. As the lineup gets healthier and gains protection with Pasquantino’s return, Caglianone’s power profiles as a real difference-maker for a team currently sitting 25th in the majors in home runs. For a fan base looking for reasons to keep watching, the middle-of-the-order threat is one of the better ones Kansas City has.
