Jac Caglianone reveals the Royals plan to let him continue pitching

Former Florida star Jac Caglianone is off to the big leagues, taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft on Sunday night by the Kansas City Royals.

But how will Caglianone be used at the professional level?

As a college player he was a two-way star, working both on the mound as a weekend starter and as an everyday slugger in the lineup. He plays an excellent defensive first base, so he’ll have value no matter what the Royals decide.

And apparently that decision has already been made.

According to Royals beat writer for MLB.com Anne Rogers, Jac Caglianone will continue doing what he did in college. The newly minted first-round pick opened up on that plan and what it means to him.

“I’m very thankful they’re giving me the opportunity to do both,” Caglianone said. “I won’t let them down.”

The former Florida star recently guided the Gators to the College World Series, shattering several school records in the process. Jac Caglianone set the program record in career home runs when he launched the 75th long ball of his career against the Kentucky Wildcats in the College World Series.

He also became the first player in SEC history to post back-to-back seasons of 30 or more home runs.

During the Gators’ impressive postseason run in 2024, Caglianone was his usual dominant self, going 16-for-36 at the plate (.444) with six home runs and 18 RBIs in just 11 NCAA Tournament games.

As a pitcher who can fire a 97 mile-per-hour fastball and routinely blast 400-foot home runs, the two-way star simply has done things on the baseball diamond that will be talked about for a long time. The Royals are hoping he can continue that success, even if he ends up pitching full-time.

The past two seasons as a pitcher Jac Caglianone has gone 12-6 total, firing 170 total strikeouts while posting an ERA of 4.55. Not surprisingly, his work as a two-way star won him the 2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.