The Royals star opened up about the mental side of the game.
Jac Caglianone arrived in Kansas City with as much hype as any prospect the Royals have produced in years, and the early returns did not match the noise.
The left-handed slugger out of Florida tore through the minor leagues with the power that made him a sixth overall pick, but the jump to the majors humbled him fast.
Now in his second season, the 23-year-old is talking openly about the part of the game that does not show up in a box score, and how the mental side nearly swallowed him whole as a rookie.
A Rough Welcome to the Big Leagues
Caglianone debuted in June of 2025 and struggled almost immediately, posting a .157/.237/.295 slash line across his first 210 at-bats before a hamstring injury sent him to the injured list.
The numbers were jarring for a player who had crushed everything in front of him, and the gap between his tools and his results became a daily storyline in Kansas City.
He admitted later that he was getting himself out more than pitchers were, which pushed him into an offseason built around fixing both his swing and his head.
Part of that work involved reaching out for help beyond the batting cage, and Caglianone has been candid about leaning on professional support.
“Speaking with some [psychologists] and stuff, finding new pathways to compartmentalize things, figuring out where to grow,” Caglianone said. “What are the strengths – all that type of stuff played a big role. So just taking that day by day, not getting too ahead of myself and not staying too hung up on the past is the biggest thing.”
Signs of Real Growth in 2026
The approach appears to be paying off, because Caglianone looks like a different hitter this year.
After his June 9 game against Texas he was hitting .261 with a .780 OPS, a big jump from the .532 OPS he managed as a rookie.
That night he reminded everyone what the ceiling looks like, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs in a 5-3 win that pushed his season total to eight home runs, his second career multi-homer game.
What stands out is not just the production but the patience behind it.
Caglianone has trimmed his strikeout rate and started taking longer at-bats, working counts instead of chasing the moment, and the hard contact scouts always raved about is finally turning into results.
The talk about new pathways and taking things day by day sounds less like a cliche and more like a player who figured something out over the winter.
Where the Royals Stand
The team around him has not made things easy.
Kansas City sits at 28-39 and last in the American League Central, behind a Minnesota Twins club that is also scuffling at 30-38.
The Royals have leaned on their young core lately, winning five of their last six, and Caglianone settling in as a steady middle-of-the-order bat would help keep that going.
His honesty about the struggle might be the most important fix he made.
