Royals get exciting 'blast off' prediction on 6-foot-5 slugger with elite bat speed

There are a lot of statistics that can be used to predict future stars in Major League Baseball. And while they don't all translate, one statistic that does have a correlation to success is bat speed.

One Kansas City Royals slugger, 6-foot-5, 250-pound Jac Caglianone, has some incredible bat speed that rivals the best hitters in baseball.

Thanks to that great bat speed, MLB analyst Eno Sarris of The Athletic is predicting he's going to "blast off" in 2026, thanks to his bat speed and the shorter fences in Kauffman Stadium.

Royals get exciting prediction on Jac Caglianone

"His swing is a little flat, and he hit a few too many ground balls last year," Sarris writes, "but the fences at Kauffman Stadium are coming in, and this top pick is about to blast off."

It's not just about the stadium's dimensions favoring hitters that make Caglianone poised for a breakout. As Sarris notes, he has a 77.4 mph bat speed, which is better than Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Judge, and Nick Kurtz.

Those are some of the best sluggers in all of Major League Baseball. If Caglianone can tap into that bat speed and translate his contact into more power, then the Royals' young slugger could be in store for a big season.

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Last season, Caglianone struggled. In 62 games for the Royals, he hit .157 with a .532 OPS. He hit seven home runs, but overall, he wasn't nearly as effective as he's been in the minors.

But those struggles for Caglianone aren't something to be overly concerned about. He showed his promise in the minor leagues in 2025, with a 1.025 OPS in 66 games between Double and Triple A.

While year one didn't exactly go to plan, Sarris has faith in Caglianone, thanks to his elite bat speed, the shorter fences in the outfield, and the promise the 6-foot-5 slugger has shown already in his baseball career.

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