2024 MLB Draft Profile: Jac Caglianone
Draft Profile: Jac Caglianone (Florida)
Height: 6’5
Weight: 210
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Jac Caglianone, widely regarded as the best two-way player in college baseball, has intrigued scouts both as a hitter and as a pitcher, so I will delve into both sides of Caglianone’s skills.
As a Hitter
In 2023, Caglianone slashed .323/.389/.738 in his sophomore year at Florida with 33 home runs and 90 runs batted in.
Caglianone’s power is certainly intriguing for those who watched him in 2023 and is noticeable with his stroke as a hitter.
His bat speed is highly effective, and can turn on pitches he makes good contact with in a hurry. He has good hands that allow him to turn on pitches efficiently with his taller frame, so his reach to attack pitches as a power hitter is extensive.
While his power is certainly appealing and is graded in the 70s on the scale, he is not as complete of a hitter as his stats would suggest. He had a 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and does not have the demonstrated ability to work counts and get on base. His plate discipline is erratic for a college bat of his caliber, and he struggled at points against more talented arms in the College World Series.
His bat-to-ball skills could improve, as he tends to swing and miss at a higher rate on pitches outside of the zone due to his aggressive approach and mindset as a power hitter. It allows some better college pitchers to take advantage of his aggressiveness when expanding the zone.
When Caglianone does make sound contact, it is among the loudest in college baseball. He can really take over games with his power stroke if he is dialed in.
He still certainly can make strides as a hitter, but there is enough in his power makeup that can intrigue major league teams as a power hitter (who can hopefully grow other portions of his abilities as a hitter in his final year at Florida).
As a Pitcher
Caglianone as a pitcher also has some developmental work to do, but the raw traits are highly intriguing.
He predominantly has a three-pitch mix of a fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball plays in the high 90s at around 97–98 miles per hour, and can top out at around 100.
He plays into that fastball with an ability to overwhelm inferior hitters. His slider balances that as a wipeout off-speed pitch, which has become his best off-speed pitch, especially against left-handed hitters. His changeup also plays into the fold, though he does not locate as well as he should for an arm-side pitch to play off of his fastball. He additionally has a cutter and a curveball that he does not use as frequently, so there is a healthy variety of pitch selections in Caglianone’s arsenal.
Caglianone’s biggest concerns as a pitcher are in his command of his pitches and his ability to maintain a consistent delivery to the plate.
While he did manage to consistently strike hitters out, a walk rate of 6.6 per 9 innings made it difficult for Caglianone to make it deeper into starts, especially as the season went on against SEC competition who had reports on him, as well as Florida’s opponents in the College World Series. His mechanics can still be refined, and there is enough there to warrant continued intrigue in his ability as a pitcher, but with more development and refinement needed as a pitcher.
Overall
Caglianone’s profile is unique, as he has a developmental profile that teams could lean into as a hitter or pitcher. In my opinion, Caglianone’s current profile suggests there will be more intrigue in him being a position player who can hit for power and has the upside of a middle-of-the-order bat.
I am interested to see how the rest of his college career plays out in Florida and how his developmental path will continue.
