Majestic home runs are as fun to watch as anything in sports, making for highlights that can be watched over and over again without ever getting repetitious or boring.
Combine those kinds of bombs with sweet swings (especially from left-handed batters), and you pretty much get baseball nirvana. Guys like Robinson Cano and Ken Griffey Jr. had picturesque swings that looked beautiful when they squared up a baseball. The current leader in the clubhouse is probably Kyle Schwarber, who tattoos pitches in ways that few human beings can.
488 feet! 120 mph! Kyle Schwarber, oh my goodness. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Mh4VGR4E2B
— MLB (@MLB) October 19, 2022
Well, there's a prospect storming through the minor leagues who may be the next entrant in that exclusive club of sweet-swinging boppers. Kansas City Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone hit his first home run in Double-A this weekend, and it was Schwarber-esque. He CRUSHED this pitch.
Jac Caglianone's first Double-A home run is WAY out of the park 😱
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 6, 2025
The @Royals top prospect flashes his 70-grade power for the @nwanaturals: pic.twitter.com/EmM4vynRQW
In case you're wondering, that ball was hit 464 feet and came off Caglianone's bat at 116 miles per hour. His 70-grade power may actually be underselling his greatest strength.
Jac Caglianone is just getting started, Kansas City Royals fans
Caglianone was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and everyone and their mothers knew him for his carrying tool: his power.
He slashed a ludicrous .419/.544/.875 in his final collegiate season, with more home runs (35) than strikeouts (26) over 66 games with the Florida Gators.
He also pitched in college, routinely reaching triple digits with his fastball, though the Royals have tried to fast track his development by having him focus exclusively on hitting thus far in his professional career.
The good news is that arm strength could enable Caglianone to move to the corners of the outfield, where the Royals need a lot of help offensively. He wouldn't be a great defensive outfielder — his best home is definitely first base, where his 6'5" frame makes him an inviting target on throws across the diamond — but the versatility could help fast-track him to the majors.
Among the top prospects in the sport, he's definitely a bit more one note that guys like Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Carson Williams. However, his power may be the loudest tool in all of the minor leagues, and he'd have a good case for it being the most blue-chip tool among all prospects if Roki Sasaki's splitter didn't exist.
Considering he's played just 30 or so games in the minors, he's probably still a ways off from his big league debut. If the Royals are out of contention by the end of the season, they may even delay it until next year.
But whenever it does come, Kansas City will be able to pair baseball's best all-around talent (Bobby Witt Jr.) with the most tantalizing power-hitting threat in the minors. Talk about a fearsome top of the order.