Kansas City Royals pick 2-way Florida Gators star No. 6 overall in 2024 MLB Draft

The Kansas City Royals selected Florida Gators star Jac Caglianone with the sixth pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday night.

“It was surreal building up to it and finding out I was going to be a Kansas City Royal,” Caglianone told The Star. “It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m just really excited to get to work with all these high-end talent guys just to develop more and become the next guy in the lineup.”

Caglianone, 21, made his mark as a two-way prospect in college. He stands 6-foot-5 and has legitimate power from the left side of the plate. Caglianone belted a school-record 75 home runs during his time with the Gators.

This season, Caglianone hit .419 with 35 home runs, 72 RBIs and a 1.419 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He also struck out 26 times and drew 58 walks in 66 games.

The Royals will give him a chance to continue being a two-way player at the next level.

“The plan is to kind of build off of what I did the past couple of years in college,” Caglianone said. “Really, just develop more on the pitching side of things and the offensive side of things.

“It’s going to be a process and something that I’m very excited to have the opportunity to do. I am very thankful they are giving me the opportunity to do both and I won’t let them down.”

Caglianone garnered a lot of attention at Florida. And there were plenty of highlights, as well ... like his 516-foot blast against the University of Jacksonville.

In fact, Caglianone hit a home run in nine consecutive games from April 6-19. That hot streak caught national attention as he did damage against some of the best teams in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

The impressive feat also tied former Nevada star Tyler Bosetti (2021) for the NCAA Division I record.

“It was really cool,” Caglianone said. “It’s not something that I really thought about. I just kept playing the game really hard and kept going at it. I was taking it pitch by pitch and thankfully I got my pitch nine straight games.”

Caglianone finished his junior season ranked second in the SEC for home runs (35), second in batting average (.419), third in hits (104), third in runs scored (83) and third in total bases (217).

“He has really made some adjustments at the plate over the course of his career and seen the growth,” Royals scouting director Brian Bridges said. “The fact he can just about hit the ball out of any ballpark in the country and has shown that — I love the way he plays the game.

“He is a good kid and he is professional off the field. But on the field, he has a little Chase Utley to him. He plays hard and loves his teammates and wants to win.”

Caglianone was solid on the mound, too.

He posted a 4.76 ERA in 73 2/3 innings while recording 83 strikeouts in 16 starts. His fastball touched 100 mph and he was awarded the 2024 John Olerud trophy as college baseball’s best two-way player.

“It’s unique to have somebody that can do both and has done it at a really high level in the SEC,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “Doing it in the major leagues is another thing. That is something we are going to continue to talk about and figure out how this will work.”

Caglianone has the power bat to help him progress through their minor-league system. His arm will need to continue improving as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

“A guy like Shohei Ohtani has really opened the door for two-way guys,” Caglianone said. “You have guys like Brendan McKay who have come out of college and tried both. But no one has really done it at the caliber that Shohei has. For me, kind of building off what my repertoire was in college, at the next level, will be big.”

But he has the skills to make it as a professional pitcher. He added a cutter to go along with his slider and changeup.

“I know the season is a lot more rigorous and a lot more games, but personally I feel like I have the physical and mental capability to handle both,” Caglianone said.

For now, the Royals have succeeded in adding a potentially game-changing bat to organization. Caglianone before the draft was rated as the third-ranked prospect available by MLB.com.

“We love his bat, we love his power and we love his athleticism,” Picollo said. “That is, first and foremost, where we are. We are well aware of what he can do on the mound as well.”

The Royals have a good recent history when it comes to selecting Gators. KC selected starter Brady Singer 18th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft.

“There is nothing I’m more excited about now than flying out to Kansas City and getting that done and getting started,” Caglianone said of signing with the Royals.

Royals pick prep pitcher in Round 2

The Royals selected left-handed pitcher David Shields with the 41st overall selection. He is a prep pitcher from Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Shields, 17, was honored last month as the Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year. He finished 5-0 with a 0.25 ERA, 52 strikeouts and three walks. He batted .418 batting and has committed to playing for the Miami Hurricanes

“He really has a good feel for pitching and throws a lot of strikes,” Bridges said of Shields. “Seventeen years old and so there is a lot more growth. Hasn’t really been through the weighted-ball program or anything professionally that will help career. The fact that he throws strikes and has three pitches and competes is definitely something I was drawn in by.”

The Royals dealt their Competitive Balance Round A pick to the Washington Nationals in Saturday’s trade for reliever Hunter Harvey. The Nationals on Sunday selected California Bears catcher Caleb Lomavita with that pick.

The MLB Draft will resume Monday at 11:00 a.m. Central. Rounds 3-10 will be shown exclusively on MLB.com.

Top five overall picks in 2024 MLB Draft

Here is a look at Sunday evening’s selections ahead of the Royals’ pick:

1. Cleveland Guardians: 2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State)

2. Cincinnati Reds: RHP Chase Burns (Wake Forest)

3. Colorado Rockies: 3B/OF Charlie Condon (Georgia)

4. Oakland Athletics: 1B Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest)

5. Chicago White Sox: LHP Hagen Smith (Arkansas)