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

HFH:

Since winning the World Series in 2015, Kansas City hasn't had a winning season. Right now the Royals do have a winning record for 2024. What has gone wrong the past decade and what is going right this season?

JM:

Simply put, this is the most talented team Kansas City has fielded since 2016. The Royals played at such a talent deficit for nearly a decade that everything had to go right for them to be possibly relevant. Kansas City ownership and the front office were more aggressive this offseason, both in extending Bobby Witt Jr. and adding veterans to the pitching rotation. Those two moves are the real differencemakers for Kansas City right now.

Some offseason acquisitions have not panned out, and there are still blatant holes in the 26-man roster. But this team has a handful of competitive hitters, one of the best rotations in baseball, and a rebounding bullpen to boot. They are still a long shot to make it, but Kansas City has exceeded all expectations so far in 2024.

HFH:

Given that Caglianone is a power hitting lefthander, how does Kauffman Stadium play into his strengths?

JM:

Kauffman Stadium is actually quite kind to left-handed hitters! Sure, the home run factor for lefties is quite low (82), but overall hitting and extra-base hits make many lefty bats more effective in Kansas City. Their 106 Park Factor in Kauffman is the fourth-highest in all full-time venues, according to Baseball Savant.

I need to do more research into Caglianone's batted ball profile, but I do not have any concerns about his bat's prospective power in Kauffman Stadium.

------

We thank Jacob for his time and you can check out his coverage of the Kansas City Royals at Kings Of Kauffman.