No. 5 Draft prospect, two-way sensation demolishes 491-foot (!!) homer
Kenny Van Doren
@thevandalorianWith everything on the mound working recently, Jac Caglianone tapped into his power to remind onlookers he can swing it, too -- and hit it a long way.
Florida's two-way standout hit his 14th home run of the season Tuesday, which traveled a reported 491 feet with an exit velocity of 114.5 mph.
With a 1-0 count, the lefty turned on an inside pitch and hit a laser over the right-field wall at Condron Ballpark that traveled deep into the Gainesville, Fla., night. Caglianone's power added to the Gators' offensive efforts, as his seventh-inning solo shot provided an insurance run before Florida took down Florida A&M, 10-7.
MLB's No. 5 Draft prospect entered the mid-week contest with four homers in his last six games. Caglianone stayed hot at the dish with a 2-for-3 night, scoring three runs and reaching a third time on a hit by pitch.
In addition to his monstrous homer Tuesday, Caglianone showed off his rage at first base. In the eighth inning, the Tampa product scampered toward his own dugout to reel in a catch over his fellow teammates for the final out, escaping a jam with runners in scoring position and a two-run lead.
While Caglianone heats up at the dish and flashes his leather in the field, he has also found a groove off the rubber. The 6-foot-5 lefty has combined for 37 strikeouts in his last five starts, while compiling a 2.18 ERA through his 33 innings this season.
On a recent edition of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jonathan Mayo tabbed Caglianone to be selected by the Royals with the sixth pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
"I'm announcing him as a two-way guy," Mayo said. "The power is real. He's walked more than he's struck out. The approach is better. … I think he ends up hitting, but the pitching has been enough where I don't mind talking about it."
Caglianone is slashing .397/.482/.776 on the season through 28 games. His 65-grade power has taken center stage for his recent moonshots at the dish, while his continued dominance as a pitcher has kept his two-way hopes alive and made him one of the more intriguing names in the 2024 Draft class.