Caglianone, in only his second season, announced he will participate in the touted event in Philadelphia.
When the Kansas City Royals drafted Jac Caglianone with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, they were banking on his elite power translating to the major leagues in a big way.
In his second big league season in 2026, that power has begun to show in the way the Royals had hoped for, especially as of recent. As a result of Caglianone’s season, the MLB rewarded him with a prime opportunity to show off his power.
While on MLB Network on Wednesday, Caglianone announced that he will be taking part in the Home Run Derby on Monday ahead of the All Star Game in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Mark DeRosa asked Caglianone who will be pitching to him in the derby. Without hesitation, he said his dad, Jeff, will be tossing him pitches. He made it clear that he believes his father will have no nerves in the event.
“He’s got ice in his veins,” Caglianone said on MLB Network. “He threw in the Fall League Home Run Derby to me, and now we’re doing this one. It’s going to be great.”
The lefty slugger is coming off the best month of his young career in June. In 54 games before the month, he had hit just five home runs with a .236 batting average. In the month of June, he slugged nine homers and raised his average to .289.
In that month, Caglianone batted .309 and recorded a 1.036. In what could very well be the start of a breakout, that production is exactly what the Royals have been waiting to see from the 23-year-old outfielder.
On top of the elite numbers, Caglianone has been a power threat in a much more terrorizing way than most hitters. He hits the ball very hard, as his average exit velocity and max exit velocity sit near the top of the league leaderboard.
Caglianone also hits the ball very, very far. His average home run distance of 418 feet is tied for the longest in baseball, and will surely be on display in a big way in Philadelphia.
Though he was not named to the All-Star team, Caglianone presents himself as an ideal candidate for the derby. He joins Junior Caminero, Ben Rice and Willson Contreras as the announced participants in this year’s field. Along with Caminero, Caglianone has a chance to be the youngest champion in the event’s history.
Caglianone will be the Royals’ first participant in the derby since Bobby Witt Jr. in 2024, when he slugged 50 home runs as the runner-up in Texas.
