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Kansas City Royals writer reacts to drafting Florida Gator star Jac Caglianone

Royals fans are thrilled that Jac Caglianone fell to them at 6th overall

By Benjamin Henderson

Jun 19, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) singles in the Texas A&M Aggies during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) singles in the Texas A&M Aggies during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
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The MLB Draft has come and gone and one of the surprises was Florida Gator star Jac Caglianone falling out of the top five. Projection after projection had him going as high as second, but in the end he went 6th overall to the Kansas City Royals.

To get an idea of what Caglianone's journey might look like in Kansas City, we teamed up with Jacob Milham from out Fansided sister site Kings of Kauffman and asked him some questions in regards to what Royal fans are expecting from their new 1st baseman.

Hail Florida Hail:

Every mock draft prior to Sunday had Caglianone going in the top five. Did Royal fans even have him on the radar, and what was the mood after Chicago picked and he was still on the board?

Jacob Milham:

Jac's falling outside the top five wasn't just a shock to Royals fans, but to baseball as a whole. A player who draws comparisons to this generation's best player, Shohei Ohtani, doesn't drop that far nine times out of 10. Hagen Smith going to AL Central foe Chicago White Sox was somewhat of a surprise, but it put Kansas City in an enviable position. Several insiders linked Kansas City to either Smith or one of the prep bats, but leaving one of Jac or infielder JJ Wehterholdt on the board for that option felt foolhardy.

Fans were just happy that the draft room didn't overthink Jac's fall and clearly selected the best player available. I can say personally that I did not have him on my radar. The talent and production just made him a top-five lock in my mind, but pitcher Chase Burns going second overall caused a seismic chain reaction, one that benefited Kansas City in the end.

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