If there are two hitters that can absolutely mash the ball with authority, it's Jac Caglianone and Spencer Jones. The two sluggers were drafted two years apart, but they are playing at the same level and possess very similar skill sets, which should excite baseball fans knowing they may be entering Major League Baseball around the same time.
Jac Caglianone is starting to force Kansas City Royals' hand
Jac Caglianone has taken the Minor League Baseball world by storm since entering the Kansas City Royals farm system in the second half of 2024. Caglianone was the sixth overall pick in last year's draft and he's making it look like the Royals got a steal with him out of the University of Florida.
There were some legitimate concerns about his hit tool as he entered the professional ranks, with plenty of evaluators questioning whether or not he would be able to make enough contact at the next level to be a high profile power hitter. Those concerns are what kept his name out of first overall conversations, but thus far, he's looking like he could be the best player to come out of the 2024 draft class.
There were some growing pains for Caglianone in his introduction to pro ball last year, as he posted just a 98 wRC+ over 126 plate appearances at High-A Quad Cities, but the promise was there. He only struck out 20.6% of the time compared to the 23.5% average at High-A and was consistently making hard contact.
Caglianone's stock quickly shot up at Spring Training, as he looked like one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball. The 22-year-old hit three home runs in just 23 plate appearances on his way to a 1.775 OPS and a 331 wRC+. That success has seamlessly carried over into the regular season as he continues to hit at a high level.
In his 24 plate appearances at Double-A Northwest Arkansas this past week, Caglianone hit two more long balls, bringing his season total to six. He also managed to reach base eleven more times, seven times via hit and four times via walk. His .450/.542/.750 slash line on the week was good for a 1.292 OPS, which ranked second among all Texas League hitters.
The two home runs were massive shots off the bat of Caglianone, which showed us why he has consistently been given a 70-grade power tool. His first home run landed on top of the training facility beyond the right field wall at Hammons Field in Springfield, and his second home run hit off the wall of the same building at 115 mph. His six home runs thus far leads all Royals minor leaguers.
Given the season he is currently having, there's a chance Caglianone could force Kansas City's hand at some point and warrant a call-up to The Show before the end of the season.
Yankees' Spencer Jones is proving he still belongs among the game's top prospects
Similar to Caglianone, Spencer Jones is another big left-handed hitting SEC product with light tower power. Jones was the New York Yankees' first-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Vanderbilt University and is currently their second overall ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline.
The calling card is simple for Spencer Jones: it's very effective power, as long as he's making enough contact, which was pretty much the same scouting report for Caglianone upon his introduction to pro ball. However, for Jones, it has been a bit of a bumpier road through his first couple of seasons in New York's system.
It was a promising start to Jones's career as he tore it up in the second half of 2022 following the draft, posting a 172 wRC+ in 106 plate appearances between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Tampa. Unfortunately, as he has advanced through the minors, his weak hit tool has caught up with him. He struck out at a 28.9 percent rate between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, and only managed to hit 16 home runs while he was labeled as a guy that should be a perennial 20+ home run hitter at the minor league level.
The good news for Jones is that despite his struggles offensively, he's a dynamic player elsewhere. He stands in at a massive 6'7", 240 pounds but stole 43 bags in 2023 and 25 bags in 2024. He plays a very good center field as well, even though his size suggests he might move over to right field at some point down the road. If the bat follows, Jones has a real shot at being one of the better all-around players at the next level.
Fortunately for Jones and the Yankees, a refined approach appears to be paying off for the slugger. He's still striking out at a well-above-average rate, but he's also walking far more than he ever has in his pro career. That patient approach has shown up often this year, as he's producing way more at the plate despite carrying the same strikeout rate.
Jones has nine home runs on the season in just 113 plate appearances and is tied for second among all minor league hitters in long balls. He added two more to his total this past week on his way to a 1.028 OPS. He reached base eight more times over the course of the week, six times via walk, which highlights his newfound plate discipline and patience, which will hopefully bring more good fortune throughout the season.