Royals’ Jac Caglianone Focuses On Shrinking His Zone

“From a timeline standpoint, it’s hard to say, as with all players,” Royals farm director/field coordinator Mitch Maier said, “but we know he’s extremely talented. We know what he did in college, and we anticipate him being a part of our future for a long time.

“But we’ve got to go through the steps and make sure he gets the at-bats and the reps.”

Caglianone’s primary areas for improvement are pitch recognition and reducing his chase rate against breaking pitches. His aptitude for change was evident during his college career. He significantly reduced his strikeout rate and increased his walk rate as a junior. 

“He’s shown the ability already to do that again,” Maier said, “some via coaching, some of it naturally through his own adjustability.”

“His focus going into the offseason was continuing to make sure that we’re tightening up that zone,” Royals director of hitting performance Drew Saylor said, “and that we’re swinging at pitches that we can do something with . . .

“There’s a little bit of a swing adaptation that we’re going through, just to make sure we keep his weight more in the middle of his body. He’s so physically strong and physically talented (that) he kind of rushes to the front side of his body, and that’s what ends up causing some of this mishit balls.”

Saylor believes that this slight change will allow Caglianone to make better swing decisions.  

“I know that shrinking the zone is going to play a big role in it and being OK with taking walks,” Caglianone said. “One thing with me is I always try to produce, and that’s going be my role.”

ROYALTIES

— Caglianone is one of 24 Royals minor league players invited to major league spring training as a non-roster players. Other top-ranked prospects receiving invitations include catchers Carter Jensen and Blake Mitchell, outfielder Gavin Cross and righthanders Ben Kudrna, Steven Zobac and Chandler Champlain.