Jac Caglianone is a first baseman for the Kansas City Royals who used to play collegiate baseball for the Florida Gators. After showing his strength and power in college baseball, he has emerged as one of the best rookies this season.
The sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Caglianone entered the season as a consensus top-100 prospect and quickly earned his call-up to the majors in early June after dominating both Double-A and Triple-A. However, the transition to the big leagues has been challenging. He’s currently batting well below the Mendoza Line and would need a strong stretch just to climb up to .200.
Early Life
Jac Caglianone was born on February 9, 2003 in Tampa, Florida. Athleticism clearly runs in the Caglianone family. Jac Caglianone isn’t the only athlete in the household—his sister, Samantha Caglianone, plays volleyball at Santa Fe College. Their father, Jeff Caglianone, also has a strong athletic background, having played college baseball at Stetson University.
Jeff’s experience in the game provided Jac with valuable insight, guidance, and mental toughness as he progressed through his baseball journey. What began as a shared love for the sport within the family has now come full circle, with Jeff watching his son make it to the Major Leagues.
Career
Jac Caglianone attended Henry B. Plant High School during his formative years in Tampa, Florida. He had a .371 batting average, three home runs, a 2.44 earned run average, two saves, and 65 strikeouts in 37 and a third innings of work as a senior. Caglianone suffered a torn left ulnar collateral ligament while participating in a playoff All-Star game.
Caglianone had expected to sit out his first year at Florida while he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but he ended up playing DH. When he first started playing baseball, he hit .288 with seven home runs. Caglianone made his pitching comeback during the Gators’ 2022 fall workouts.
Jac Caglianone was the Gators’ opening day starter at first base and opening day starter on the mound as a sophomore. Caglianone was named the NCBWA Player of the Month for February after accumulating 15 hits in 35 at-bats with seven home runs and striking out 15 batters in 11⅓ innings thrown.
After hitting his 27th home run of the year, he set a new record for Florida. He is the highest-ever Gators player to hit the most homers in a single season, with 33 home runs in the 2023 season. His performance will play a vital role in the do-or-die game against LSU in the College World Series tonight.
MLB
After being drafted 6th overall by the Kansas City Royals in 2024 and signing for $7.21 million, Jac Caglianone began his pro career with the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits. In 2025, he advanced to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he impressed as a hitter, recording one of the hardest-hit balls in Statcast history and playing outfield for the first time.
He was promoted to Triple-A Omaha on May 18 after hitting .322 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 38 games. Despite being a two-way player in college, he has yet to pitch professionally, focusing solely on hitting. On June 2, 2025, Caglianone was promoted to the majors after an impressive showing in the minors.
In 50 games between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, he slashed .322/.389/.593 with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs. He made his MLB debut on June 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals, going 0-for-5.
Jac Caglianone notched his first major league hit on June 5 with an RBI double in the top of the fourth inning during the first game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals. Just a few days later, on June 8, he recorded both his first multi-hit and four-hit game, going 4-for-4 with three singles and a double in a 7–5 Royals victory over the Chicago White Sox.
He became the seventh rookie in MLB that season to log a four-hit game. On June 19, Caglianone belted his first big-league home run against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field and later in the game, added another, marking his first career multi-homer performance.
Jac Caglianone Biography |
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| Real Name | Jeffrey Alan Caglianone |
| Birth Date | 9 February 2003 |
| Age (as of 2025) | 22 Years |
| Birthplace | Tampa, Florida, United States |
| Profession | Baseball Player |
| College | University of Florida |
| Class | Sophomore |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 6’ 5” – in Centimeters cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms—98 kg—in Pounds—217 lbs |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
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Family |
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| Father | Jeff Caglianone |
| Mother | Johanne Caglianone |
| Sister | Samantha Caglianone |
| Brother | – |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Engaged |
| Affair | – |
| Who is his fiancée/girlfriend? | Elli McKissock |
Personal Life
Jac Caglianone engaged his college love, Elli McKissock, a professional volleyball player. In December 2024, Caglianone proposed to McKissock and shared a heartfelt photo of the moment on Instagram, captioned, “I can’t wait to marry you.” The couple’s engagement drew warm attention from fans, as both athletes are rising stars in their respective sports.
Jac Caglianone Net Worth
Jac Caglianone, drafted sixth overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 2024 MLB Draft, signed an overslot deal worth approximately $7.5 million, about $286,000 above the recommended slot value for his pick. In 2025, he is earning a typical rookie salary of around $760,000 under a pre-arbitration contract.
While he has yet to secure major endorsement deals at the MLB level, Caglianone was a prominent NIL figure during his college years, which has helped build his brand value. As of 2025, his estimated net worth is around $1 million, with most of it coming from his signing bonus.
