Jac Caglianone spent the 2026 season doing what the Royals needed most: hitting. Now the question shifts to what comes next.
After a rough first look at the majors in 2025, when he hit just .157 with a .532 OPS over 62 games, Caglianone flipped the script in a big way this year. The 23-year-old became one of Kansas City’s most productive bats, leading the team in batting average (.289), slugging percentage (.494) and OPS (.834). He also finished in the top three on the club in runs (72), hits (148), home runs (23) and RBIs (75).
That kind of production changes the conversation. With much of the Royals’ lineup expected back in 2027, Caglianone’s ability to handle both right field and first base gives Kansas City some real flexibility as it looks for ways to improve the roster.
The bat is clearly established. The defensive path is the part worth watching now.
MLB Pipeline also spotlighted several other Royals names in its prospect rankings. Zion Rose was tabbed as the organization’s top performer from the 2026 draft.
Taken at No. 6 overall, Rose opened his pro career with High-A Quad Cities and helped the River Bandits win a Midwest League title. Across 23 total games between the regular season and playoffs, he hit .241/.367/.299 with one home run and an 18/17 K/BB ratio.
Rose’s season is not over yet. Kansas City sent the former Louisville outfielder to the Arizona Fall League to make up for at-bats lost to ankle and hamstring injuries in the spring, and he has started well for Surprise. Through his first six games, he was 7-for-23 (.304) with a home run, a triple and six walks.
Another prospect drawing attention is Angeibel Gomez, whom MLB Pipeline ranked as the third-best 17-year-old prospect. Gomez signed for $2.9 million as the No. 4 international prospect this year, and the Royals sent him to the Arizona Fall League as well.
He has more than held his own despite being the second-youngest player ever in the circuit, and scouts believe there’s even more room for growth. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 173 pounds, the Venezuela native is seen as a potential five-tool player, with plus plus speed and the chance to develop more right-handed power.
In the DSL, his 1.119 OPS and .653 slugging percentage both ranked third among qualified Minor Leaguers.
Elsewhere, Royals discussion continued to roll on in the broader fan and analysis space. David Lesky published part two of what he would do if he was JJ Picollo for a day.
Matthew Swigonski of Kings of Kauffman handed out starting rotation grades for the Royals. And Philip Ruo of Royals Keep made the case for why the team should keep Daniel Lynch IV.
In Other News...
Royals Face One Offseason Question After Another Disappointing Season
After a disappointing 2026 season, the Royals are heading into the winter with a clear to-do list, and most of it starts on the mound. The front office is expected to spend much of the offseason looking for ways to upgrade both the rotation and the bullpen, areas that need more stability if Kansas City wants to get back on track.
Joel Penfield laid out some of the possibilities on the "One Royal Way" podcast, pointing to starting pitchers Kevin Gausman, Casey Mize and Shota Imanaga as potential targets, along with bullpen arms Adrian Morejon, Alex Vesia and Jonathan Loisiga. There are other places the Royals could try to patch, too, including a veteran backup catcher and an outfielder such as Randy Arozarena, but the bigger question is how aggressive they plan to be when the market opens. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Kelce Drew A Bigger KC Sports Turnout Than Fans Expected
Travis Kelces presence at the 7th Annual Celebrity Challenge fundraiser gave Kansas City sports fans another reminder of how deeply tied he is to the city beyond football. The event supported Operation Breakthrough, the Kansas City nonprofit that serves children in poverty, and Kelces foundation, 87 and Running, has worked closely with the organization. It also drew a familiar cross-section of local sports figures, with professional athletes from several Kansas City teams showing up for a cause that has become part of the areas broader sports fabric.
What stood out this time was the turnout, which felt bigger than many around town might have expected for a charity event. Kelces draw has long extended beyond the Chiefs, and the way other Kansas City athletes turned out only reinforced how much pull he has across the citys sports scene. For a fundraiser built around community work, the crowd said as much about his standing in Kansas City as any headline could. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Fans Have A New Reason To Dream On Zion Rose
Zion Rose has already given Royals fans a reason to start looking a little farther down the road. The sixth overall pick in the 2026 draft has made a strong first impression with High-A Quad Cities and then in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros, where the bat has been the part of his game that keeps standing out. A grand slam only added to the buzz, and it fits the early belief around him as a player whose offensive upside could eventually play anywhere in the middle of a lineup.
The Royals are still waiting on the rest of the package to catch up, of course, and that is what makes Rose such an interesting follow. His defense is still in the developmental stage, but the organization sees a path for him to become a regular outfielder if everything comes together. For now, he is giving the club something it loves to have in any prospect, a reason to imagine the ceiling before the details are fully settled. [Read more 🡒]