{"id":2299800,"date":"2026-02-25T19:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2299800"},"modified":"2026-02-25T19:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:03:20","slug":"royals-23-year-old-hints-hes-ready-for-breakout-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/royals-23-year-old-hints-hes-ready-for-breakout-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Royals 23-Year-Old Hints He’s Ready for Breakout Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone sure has been through a lot in the last year.<\/p>\n

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Last February, Caglianone was hitting jaw-dropping home runs in big-league spring training, and fans could hardly be more ecstatic for his eventual debut. But when he got to the majors, Caglianone went into an immediate tailspin, batting .157 in his first 62 games against the best pitchers on earth. <\/p>\n

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Baseball has a way of slapping you across the jaw, but Caglianone seems to have taken everything last year brought him in stride. On Tuesday, after launching his first mammoth home run of the spring, the 23-year-old dropped a lot of bread crumbs about why he believes he can be successful this year.<\/p>\n

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If you like our content,\u00a0<\/em>choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

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Caglianone’s offseason changes, mental and mechanical<\/h2>\n

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Sep 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

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From a mental standpoint, Caglianone reported that he feels much more calm this time around, and isn’t fazed by the big names on the other side of the diamond as he tries to earn his job. <\/p>\n

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\u201cI feel a lot better in game situations,\u201d Caglianone said, per Anne Rogers<\/a> of MLB.com. \u201cI\u2019m not super amped up in my first Spring Training anymore. There\u2019s a purpose in this, and it\u2019s to get ready for (opening day). Having that in mind — rather than just geeking out that you\u2019re in big league camp playing with a bunch of big leaguers — has really been the biggest thing this spring.\u201d <\/p>\n

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The home run Caglianone hit on Tuesday was the epitome of everything that got Royals fans jazzed about his arrival, as he torched this baseball 460 feet at over 115 mph off the barrel.<\/p>\n

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Oh gosh. \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n

Cags crushes his first homer of spring 460′! pic.twitter.com\/l87ZRFQwqa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

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But Caglianone also hinted that his plate discipline had improved, pointing to an inside sinker that he took for a borderline strike in Tuesday’s game instead of collapsing his front shoulder and jamming himself for an easy out. <\/p>\n

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\u201cThat was one of those takes where last year I\u2019m probably nose-diving into it and breaking my bat,\u201d Caglianone said. \u201cSo that\u2019s a win.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It’s still early, but Caglianone is allowing Royals fans to dream on just how far he could climb in only his first full season.<\/p>\n

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