Former Florida Star Makes Web Gem Worthy Play
Former Florida Star Makes Web Gem Worthy Play originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Former Florida Gators star Jac Caglianone is known for his light-tower power.
A six-foot-five, 250-pound first baseman, Caglianone slugged a jaw-dropping .875 in his final year at Florida, launching 35 home runs in 66 games.
Advertisement
Caglianone also earned a reputation as a hard-throwing lefty, striking out 170 batters in 148.1 innings from 2023 to 2024. What Caglianone didn't do, which isn't much, is track down line drives and rob home runs in the outfield.
Florida Gators first baseman Jac CaglianoneSteven Branscombe-Imagn Images
On Sunday, the 22-year-old did just that, as the Kansas City Royals organization has been using him as a corner outfielder to fast-track his development and get his bat into the lineup at the major league level.
In a 2-2 tie against the San Diego Padres, Kansas City relief pitcher Lucas Erceg was facing a two-on, one-out eighth-inning situation against the heart of the opposing team's order. Erceg hung a changeup to star San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill, with the budding All-Star launching a high fly ball to deep right field.
Advertisement
Caglianone, with just 24 games of action in right field since his time with the Florida Gators, tracked the ball to the wall, making a leap and using all of his six-foot-five frame to bring the ball back into play with a stunning game-saving play.
Caglianone's heroics kept the game tied, but San Diego would eventually hit a walk-off ground ball in the bottom of the ninth after blanking Kansas City in the top of the frame. Caglianone flashed the leather but went hitless in four at-bats, with his batting average dipping to .203 across 17 games.
Caglianone is just 1-for-9 in his last nine games but was hitting .322 with a .982 OPS across two levels in the minor leagues before his call-up.
Related: Florida Lands Recruit Who Can Play 4 Positions
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
34 minutes ago
- Axios
Chicken N Pickle opens first Colorado location
Chicken N Pickle, a Kansas City-founded restaurant boasting pickleball courts, opens Tuesday in Thornton. Dig in: It's the restaurant's first Colorado location, and will feature eight courts inside its 45,000-square-foot complex at The Grove shopping center near Interstate-25 and 144th Avenue. The two-story venue will include six indoor and two covered outdoor courts, along with cornhole, ping pong, Jenga and life-sized Battleship. The vibe: The family-friendly restaurant bills itself as a fast-casual, "chef-driven" eatery, focusing on fresh and quality ingredients raised responsibly and sourced ethically. Among its most notable dishes is its wood-fired rotisserie chicken. Best bites: Try the chicken tinga tostada, a tasty but light appetizer that's filling but won't mess up your racket swing. The smoked chicken wings are also a great option; they're very good dry, but are also available with some classic buffalo sauce. What to try: The spicy blackberry margarita is a creative, flavorful cocktail for people who like a sweet-and-spicy treat. It's available at the three bars inside and outside the restaurant. Between the lines: The restaurant has the backing of two top Denver Broncos rivals in Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, who together raised $10 million to fund the chain.
CNN
36 minutes ago
- CNN
Real Madrid manager backs Antonio Rüdiger's claims of being racially abused during Club World Cup match
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said he believes Antonio Rüdiger's claims that his defender was subjected to racist abuse during the game against Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday, adding that a FIFA investigation is underway. Rüdiger and Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral clashed near the end of the match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Los Blancos leading 3-1. The two players came close to one another before Rüdiger spoke directly to referee Ramon Abatti and pointed towards Cabral. After separating the players, Abatti was seen crossing his arms in what is part of FIFA's protocol against racist abuse. According to the FIFA website, the gesture is made when the referee 'observes or receives a report of abuse' and is part of its three-step process to combat racist abuse. The game finished moments later, with Real recording its first win at the Alonso said that Rüdiger had told him that Cabral had racially abused him. 'We support Toni and we'll see what happens. The FIFA protocol has been activated and we support him,' Alonso said. 'It's unacceptable and we believe what he said. They're investigating it now.' Following the game, Cabral denied making a racist remark to Rüdiger. 'It was a scrap, we collided, he gets a kick, he said that I hit him with my hand and then there was an argument and the referee made the sign of racism,' the 39-year-old told reporters. 'There wasn't anything there. 'It was only a word we say all the time in Argentina. We say 'c***n de m****a' (a profanity used to call someone a coward) all the time. I told him the same thing and it ended there. It ended a bit hot because as we were going to the dressing room, he was trying to challenge me to a fight and, well, in that moment you've got your pulse racing at a 1,000 (miles an hour) and we were both going towards the corner where the dressing room is and we argued a bit there, nothing more.' CNN Sports has contacted FIFA for comment. Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano told reporters afterwards that he didn't know much about the incident. 'We didn't speak about that in the changing room. Yes, we spoke, but exclusively about the match. I haven't spoken to Cabral about this,' Lozano said. 'I cannot give you an explanation about it because this is the first (I have heard of) this news. Not justifying it at all, but I will speak with him and knowing him for a while, this has never happened with him or with any of these Pachuca players.' Rüdiger has been subjected to racist abuse in his career before, including for Real in 2023 and when he played for Chelsea in 2019. Writing in The Players' Tribune in 2021, Rüdiger wrote that 'nothing ever really changes' with racism in soccer despite anti-discrimination campaigns. 'There is an investigation, but nothing really happens. Every once in a while, we have a big social media campaign, and everybody feels good about themselves, and then we go back to normal,' the Germany international wrote. 'Tell me, why did the press and the fans and the players all come together to stop the Super League in 48 hours, but when there is obvious racist abuse at a football stadium or online, it is always 'complicated'? 'Maybe because it is not just a few idiots in the stands. Maybe because it goes a lot deeper.' CNN's Patrick Sung and Matias Grez contributed to this report.
Washington Post
37 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Golden State Warriors help transform lives of incarcerated men through coaching program
VACAVILLE, Calif. — One day last fall, Ray Woodfork found himself being challenged to a fight by a fellow inmate half his age on the grounds of Solano State Prison. Woodfork would have been tempted not so long ago. The Golden State Warriors have helped turn him toward a different way of thinking.
