Royals' top prospect goes 0 for 5 in MLB debut, but he's a hit anyway
ST. LOUIS — Jac Caglianone thought he made solid contact in his first major-league at-bat, and when the ball shot toward the right-center gap, he figured there was a chance it would fall.
Instead, St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder Victor Scott II raced over to make a leaping catch at the warning track for the first out of the second inning.
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'Hit that ball pretty well, but no cigar. Scott's pretty good out there,' Caglianone said with a smile after the Royals' top prospect debuted in the Kansas City Royals' 10-7 victory on Tuesday night.
Caglianone fared no better in his second at-bat. He ambushed starter Andre Pallante's first-pitch fastball with a whopping 112 mph exit velocity, but made the mistake of ripping the ball in the vicinity of Nolan Arenado. The Cardinals' third baseman quickly ranged to his left and stabbed at the ball before throwing across his body to first base, beating Caglianone to the bag by multiple steps.
'Off the bat, I was like, possibly. But then halfway down the line I was like, well, that's platinum Gold Glover Nolan Arenado at third, so probably not,' Caglianone laughed.
Such was the luck for the Royals' ballyhooed 22-year-old who went 0-for-5 in his major-league debut as the designated hitter. Caglianone was the lone Royals' batter without a hit in Kansas City's victory, though the Cardinals' defensive play did him no favors. That's OK with the Royals, as they figure their esteemed young outfielder will join the party soon enough.
Even without a hit to show for it, Caglianone's debut was everything he dreamed it would be.
'I was super excited to share the field with these guys,' Caglianone said. 'For the bats to come alive the way they did, that was really cool to watch. Stepping in the box behind Salvador Pérez was really cool — I grew up watching him, so that was a full-circle moment.'
'Honestly, I was just soaking in the sights of Busch Stadium,' he added. 'I knew where my family was. In the on-deck circle, I'm still timing up the pitcher and everything, but I made sure to glance up and everybody is standing up, getting their phones out and stuff. It was just a really cool moment.'
Go up and get it, Victor Scott II! pic.twitter.com/rMQXle8RNA
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 4, 2025
Caglianone, the sixth pick in last year's draft, forced his way into a big-league promotion after just 79 career minor-league games. He did so by tearing through the upper levels of the minor-league circuit this season, batting .322/.389/.593 in 50 games — including a 15-for-47 stint over 12 games with Triple-A Omaha. Caglianone's play, combined with a scuffling Royals offense, ultimately forced the hand of general manager J.J. Picollo, who has maintained throughout the season he would only call up Caglianone, projected to be a quick riser when he was drafted, when he was ready.
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'It was apparent our scouting department did a great job,' Picollo said. 'They were just so convinced that this guy is going to be a really impactful major-league player. What we didn't know was, 'How long would it take?'
'If it took one year or two years, as long as he becomes a good major-league player, we'd be fine with it. There was no real need to see him up in 2025, but he went out and did what you want players to do. He went out and played exceptionally well and earned his way up here.'
The Royals (32-29) hope Caglianone, already considered one most promising bats in the game, will help ignite an offense that has struggled to catch fire this year. Kansas City entered play Tuesday in fourth place in the American League Central. They had scored 194 runs this season, the third-lowest in the majors. Their OPS of .664 is the fifth-lowest in MLB, and they are hitting just .232 with a .613 OPS with runners in scoring position.
Caglianone won't fix that all himself, nor do the Royals expect him to. But they do believe adding his power bat to the middle of the lineup will aid overall run production and boost the Royals back up in the standings. Caglianone hit sixth on Tuesday.
'This is a collective effort by a total offense, not just one guy,' Picollo said. 'We just want him to blend in as much as possible. Today will be a day where he's not going to blend in, but hopefully by tomorrow he's just another guy on this team.'
Welcome to the Show, Jac! pic.twitter.com/LCqa0bIQP2
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 4, 2025
There was no blending in at first for Caglianone, who had roughly 20 family members and friends in attendance for his debut. He met with a swarm of Missouri-based media before the game and received a hearty ovation from the visiting crowd ahead of his first at-bat.
But by the time the Royals banged out a six-run fifth inning to take an 8-7 lead, it was easy for Caglianone to be lost in the box score. Sparked by Bobby Witt Jr's four RBI day and multiple RBIs from Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City scored double-digit runs for just the third time this season. Though Caglianone didn't impact the game from a stat perspective, his teammates were just as impressed.
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'You want to get your first hit in your debut, but just his presence in the box, he's a big leaguer,' Witt Jr. said. 'You see the swings he's taking, that's a big leaguer. You got your debut, now he's looking for his first hit, and after that you settle in. … He's going to help us win a lot of games this year.'
'I just told him baseball is the best sport ever,' Pérez said. 'Tomorrow he's going to have more opportunity. I thought he did a pretty good job today, he put the ball in play, he hit the ball hard.'
Caglianone should see a bulk of starts, including time in the outfield. The Royals will continue shuffling their batting order, but plan to keep Caglianone protected in the lineup.
'We changed our lineup a little bit to try to match personnel and put groups of hitters together that we think will be effective,' Picollo explained. 'We know there are going to be great nights, and we know there's going to be some tough nights (for Caglianone).
'We're trying to create pockets of offense that match. None of us has a crystal ball to know how that's going to go, but at least in the moment, this feels like the right thing to do.'
Now it's on Caglianone to show that his bat will play in the major leagues. After Tuesday's game, when the nerves and apprehension had mostly subsided and he was finally able to soak everything in, he was asked one last question.
Ready to do it all again tomorrow?
Caglianone didn't miss a beat.
'Heck yeah,' he said.
(Top photo of Jac Caglianone: Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)
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