The Kansas City Royals have several promising young players, some working on their path to the majors and others already looking to make an impact at the big-league level.
With the core solidified for the next era in Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino, along with veteran leadership from Salvador Perez, pairing that group with a young supporting cast is ideal for continued success in the future.
David Adler of MLB.com picked 10 players who could be 2026 versions of 2025 breakout players, and one promising young Royal made the list.
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Jac Caglianone as the 2026 Version of Junior Caminero
Adler picked Jac Caglianone to have a season similar to the one Junior Caminero had in 2025, emerging as a young slugger who found his swing and produced an impressive year at the plate after showing flashes the season prior.
Caminero was not only a top prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays but was also highly regarded across the league. He made his major league debut in late September 2023 and was recalled in August 2024. He totaled 165 at-bats during the 2024 season, slashing .248/.299/.424 with six home runs.
It was not until the following season in 2025 that Caminero broke out with a significant jump in power and delivered an impressive year at the plate. In 602 at-bats, he slashed .264/.311/.535 with a jaw-dropping 45 home runs and 110 RBIs, a season that helped set the tone for his career.
Caglianone found remarkable success during his time in the Minors, consistently displaying his power with eye-catching home runs and elite exit velocities. That level of performance forced Kansas City to call him up earlier than expected.
He did not find the same level of success in the Majors after being called up in June, slashing .157/.237/.295 in 210 at-bats with seven home runs. Despite the underwhelming numbers, he still flashed his power, giving the Royals reason to believe a breakout could be on the horizon.
Adler pointed to Caglianone’s 77.4 mph average swing speed, which ranked among the top 10 in the Majors in 2025 for hitters who took as many swings as him. He also highlighted Caglianone’s 12% barrel rate and noted a 120.9 mph batted ball recorded in the Minors. The power is clearly there for Caglianone, leaving the next step centered on consistency and putting it all together at the plate.
“Expect Caglianone to slug like Caminero, a similar elite-bat-speed young slugger who only hit six homers for the Rays as a rookie in 2024 but then erupted for 45, also in a friendlier ballpark, in 2025,” Adler said.
With promising flashes, more than 200 at-bats under his belt and renovations at Kauffman Stadium that favor a left-handed slugger like Caglianone, 2026 could shape up to be a strong season for the former first-round pick.
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