The Kansas City Royals fanbase is rejoicing heading into a new week, because Jac Caglianone is coming to the major leagues.
K.C. made the call on Sunday night, according to reports from all the top insiders. Patrick Mahomes, a part-owner of the Royals, tweeted out the GIF from The Office: “It’s happening!”
But there’s one aspect of Caglianone that isn’t coming to the majors, that didn’t even make it with him into pro ball: his pitching.
At the University of Florida, Caglianone was a power-pitching lefty on the mound in addition to his prodigious pop at the plate.
But the Royals made the decision when they drafted him that Caglianone would be a hitter and a first baseman/corner outfielder in professional baseball, not a pitcher.
MORE: Read all about Jac Caglianone’s promotion
Maybe it’s the right call. It certainly allowed Caglianone to get to the big leagues faster.
But in the era of Shohei Ohtani, it somehow manages to leave fans wanting just a bit more.
In college, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Caglianone could run his fastball way up the radar gun. He struck out 170 hitters in just 148.1 innings.
Caglianone did also walk 105 guys in those innings, so he was by no means perfect. But he certainly had the raw stuff to develop into a potentially dominant pitcher. He won the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award as a collegian, too.
The Royals chose to take the safe route. Pitchers are much more at danger of getting hurt, and the Royals wanted their No. 6 pick to reach his potential quickly and fully.
We’ll probably never get to see Caglianone pitch in the major leagues. But we could’ve had another ascending two-way star.
The Royals and their fans will just have to settle for one of the most powerful hitters on the planet. Not a bad consolation prize.
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