Royals infielder Maikel Garcia sent a Jac Caglianone message.
The Kansas City Royals are entering Sunday looking for a series sweep against the Seattle Mariners, and for the first time all season, they appear to be turning it around.
Winners of seven of their last 10, the Royals are finally showing signs of the team fans expected them to be, and one of the biggest reasons for that surge is Jac Caglianone. The 23-year-old outfielder is beginning to live up to his potential.
Caglianone’s rise to the big leagues has been incredibly fast. Drafted sixth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, he reached the majors almost immediately, and the Royals have asked a lot of him.
Now, he is starting to earn praise from inside the clubhouse. After his performance in Saturday’s win over the Mariners, a game-tying single in the top of the ninth that forced extras, third baseman Maikel Garcia made it clear how much confidence the Royals have in him.
"He's been showing like good at-bats, the last couple of weeks. He's young, but he's growing up like a pro baseball player. We know he has good talent and we trust him. He's done a great job staying aggressive with the fastball,” Garcia said (h/t Jaylon T. Thompson of the Kansas City Star.
Garcia’s words carry weight. He delivered the sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning that ultimately won the game, but beyond that, he has become one of the best players in baseball.
Last season, Garcia broke out with an All-Star selection, a Gold Glove Award and earned multiple American League MVP votes. This year, he has been just as impactful, posting a .273 batting average, .338 on-base percentage, .776 OPS, three home runs and 13 RBIs through 31 games.
Garcia is also right about Caglianone. Over his last 10 games, Caglianone has posted a .250 average, .333 on-base percentage, .896 OPS, three home runs and five RBIs. His at-bats are cleaner, his swing decisions are improving and his power is beginning to show up consistently.
His growth is coming at an important time for Kansas City. The team still searching for consistent offensive production beyond its core hitters, which has been the biggest problem for the organization over the past few seasons.
For a Royals team trying to climb back into contention, they need Caglianone to continue trending upward. If he keeps producing, the Royals turnaround may only be getting started.