5 days ago
Royals' Jac Caglianone Gets Major Personal Advice After Promotion
Royals' Jac Caglianone Gets Major Personal Advice After Promotion originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
If you were a minor-league baseball player, what's the first thing you'd do upon learning you were headed to the majors?
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When Kansas City Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone learned of his promotion, his mind didn't immediately pivot to an Instagram post or finding an apartment. If he thought about the incoming larger paychecks, he sure did an incredible job hiding it during his conversation with Triple-A manager Mike Jirschele.
Instead, Caglianone thought about family, and a special someone who'd be thrilled by the Royals' next lineup.
"Holy cow," he told Jirschele. "I need to call my dad!"
Florida Gators first baseman Jac CaglianoneSteven Branscombe-Imagn Images
And Jirschele, a 66-year-old who managed his first minor-league game in 1992, offered the best advice he could.
'Go call your dad,' the veteran skipper responded.
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Caglianone, the No. 6 pick in last summer's draft, is expected to make his MLB debut on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The promising first baseman hit .319 with six home runs, 13 RBI, and a stellar 1.094 OPS over 54 Triple-A plate appearances.
It's a well-deserved promotion for Caglianone, who recorded 17 home runs and a .875 OPS in his first 79 minor-league games. He'll join Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (No. 4) and Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (No. 14) among the 2024 first-round picks who debuted this season.
'Just remember, it's still a game,' Jirschele told Caglianone.
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'It's baseball," Jirschele continued. "It's a little higher level, but you know when you can play.'
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
