Royals draft Plant High alumnus Jac Caglianone with 6th overall pick

A record-setting season for University of Florida slugger Jac Caglianone got a bit more historic Sunday evening.

The Plant High alumnus was drafted with the sixth overall pick by the Royals, becoming one of the highest-picked players in Tampa history. Dwight Gooden (Mets, fifth overall, 1982) remains the highest-drafted player to hail from a bay area high school. Dunedin’s Ryan Harvey (Cubs), Hillsborough’s Gary Sheffield (Brewers) and Jesuit’s Geoff Goetz (Mets) also were No. 6 overall picks.

“If this works, it’s left-handed Aaron Judge,” ESPN draft analyst Kyle Peterson said. “That’s what he could be.”

A 21-year-old left-handed pitcher/first baseman widely projected as an everyday big-league player, Caglianone becomes the sixth Plant alumnus to be taken in the first two rounds since 2009.

A two-time first-team All-American and winner of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, he capped a sparkling three-year college career with a monstrous 2024 season. Caglianone set a UF single-season record with 35 home runs, finishing as the school’s career leader in that category (75) and slugging percentage (.760). In 2024 alone, he amassed a .419 average with 104 hits and 72 RBI.

He also tied both the NCAA record for most consecutive games with a home run (nine) and the program mark for longest hitting streak (30). On the mound, he brandished an upper-90s fastball but struggled with his command; this past season, he went 5-2 over 16 starts with a 4.76 ERA, 50 walks and 83 strikeouts in 72⅔ innings.

Additionally, he was named Division I Baseball Academic All-American of the Year, earning a 3.64 cumulative GPA as a history major.

“Jac Caglianone’s never going to be a normal guy in this league,” ESPN draft analyst and former big-leaguer Eduardo Perez said. “I’m telling you this right now.”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls