Royals promote top prospect Jac Caglianone to Triple-A as former two-way player continues to focus on hitting

The No. 6 pick in last summer's draft has slugged his way through the minors so far

The Kansas City Royals have promoted first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone to Triple-A Omaha, the affiliate announced on Sunday night. The Storm Chasers are off on Monday, suggesting Caglianone will make his team debut on Tuesday, when they visit the Salt Lake City Bees (the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels).

Caglianone, 22, was the sixth pick in last summer's amateur draft out of the University of Florida. Although he was selected as a two-way player, he's yet to make a professional pitching appearance. It seems likely that he'll continue to focus exclusively on hitting -- and, in a recent development, on learning the outfield -- for the foreseeable future based on his offensive upside. 

Indeed, Caglianone hit .322/.394/.553 with nine home runs and eight additional extra-base hits in 38 Double-A games to begin the season. Alas, some of the longstanding concerns about his approach from his amateur days remain valid, as he struck out 18 more times than he walked.

CBS Sports ranked Caglianone as the second-best prospect in the Royals system entering the season. Here's what we wrote at the time:

Caglianone was the most interesting athlete in last year's draft. He's a two-way player who shattered Florida's career home-run record (previously belonging to Matt LaPorta) and was capable of touching into the upper 90s on the mound. Alas, we're not sold that Caglianone has the command to reliably pitch in the majors. That, in turn, puts pressure on him reaching his offensive potential. While Caglianone has immense strength (he notched a 117 mph exit velocity during the Arizona Fall League) and above-average bat-to-ball skills, his approach is so swing-happy as to threaten his whole operation. In an ideal world, he turns into either a Diet Yordan Alvarez or a Fancy Cat Anthony Santander; in this one, he might have to settle for something lesser. 

Should Caglianone fare well in Triple-A, it seems like only a matter of time before the Royals introduce him to the big-league level. Kansas City, though very much in the playoff picture again, has received substandard production from their outfielders this season -- coming into Monday, their outfielders ranked 29th in Wins Above Replacement, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies.