Royals select first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone in the 2024 draft

The Royals elected to go for power with the sixth overall pick in the draft, choosing first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone from the University of Florida. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter smashed 35 home runs for the Gators, hitting .419/.544/.875 with 58 walks and 26 strikeouts in his junior season. At one point this season, he homered in nine consecutive games, setting a Division I record.

Caglianone (pronounced CAH-glee-own) comes from Tampa and excelled at Plant High School where he was a two-way player. He had Tommy John surgery in high school and was limited to hitting duties his freshman year at Florida. But in 2023 he became their primary first baseman and also made 18 starts on…