Kansas City Royals slugger Jac Caglianone has become the newest confirmed participant in the Home Run Derby, set to take place Monday in Philadelphia.
The 23-year-old joins New York Yankees outfielder Ben Rice and Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero as the three players announced so far. The remaining five spots in the competition have not yet been filled publicly.
Caglianone will be just the sixth Royals player ever to appear in the event. Kansas City’s previous representatives include Bo Jackson in 1989, Danny Tartabull in 1991, Mike Moustakas in 2017, Salvador Perez in 2021, and Bobby Witt Jr. in 2024. Not one of them has taken home the trophy.
Witt came the closest last year, finishing as runner-up after launching a total of 50 home runs throughout the competition. In the championship round, he connected for 13 home runs — just one behind winner Teoscar Hernandez’s 14.
In his first complete season wearing a Royals uniform, Caglianone is batting .258 with a .322 on-base percentage and a .455 slugging percentage. He’s gone 77-for-299 at the plate, leading the team with 14 home runs and adding 33 RBIs across 85 games. Those 14 long balls have traveled an average of 418 feet each — a mark tied for the best average distance in all of Major League Baseball this season.
