How Jac Caglianone Projects in the Major Leagues, Scouting Report

Florida Gators star Jac Caglianone is one of the best hitters in baseball with a 95+ fastball. How do his tools translate to major league baseball?

Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone hits a record-breaking home run against the Kentucky Wildcats. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

With the baseball season ending for the Florida Gators, slugger Jac Caglianone turns his attention to the Major League Baseball Draft. From July 14-16, hundreds of athletes will hear their name called. For Caglianone, he will not need to wait long. 

While other hitters could slot ahead of him in the draft, the Gators standout brings the loudest bat to the draft. Over the past two years, no one piqued the interest of scouts, media and fans like the Florida standout. Now, with a multi-million-dollar check awaits his signature, what can teams expect on the next level?

Hitter First

Granted, people continue to hear the name Shohei Ohtani when it comes to Caglianone. Now, in all fairness, each player pitches with high-90s velocity, hits for extreme power and runs the bases well enough for his size. However, at the next level, smart teams will see the former Gator as a hitter first. 

Home runs, while plentiful, still remain in demand. Caglianone's profile shows him with thirty-plus home run potential on a yearly basis. Plus, add in the lefty bat aspect and a special player exists for the drafting. While Caglianone's pitching led him to be the two-way player of the year in 2024, it's unlikely he pitches in the major leagues.

He's not just a dead-red fastball hitter. Caglianone was one of two players nationally with more home runs (35) than strikeouts (26). He's a disciplined hitter who uses all fields and has foul pole to foul pole power.

Pitching

On the mound, Caglianoine flashes an excellent combination of high-nineties fastball and very good off-speed stuff. First and foremost, he lives and dies with the four-seam fastball. As a southpaw, it tails away from lefties and burrows in on righties. 

However, Caglianone struggles with control, as he walks too many batters. 103 walks in 147.1 innings means that too many batters enjoy that free trip to first. There might be a team who tinkers with the prospect of putting his left arm on the mound, but Caglianone may have pitched his last inning this week in the College World Series.

Confidence

Caglianone knows his worth. After watching enough baseballs leave the zip code, he fully understands his talent level. As a result, he carries himself with a bit of swagger. It's a quiet, calm confidence that helps him deliver when the pressure is highest.

75TH CAREER HOME RUN @jac_caglianone #MCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @GatorsBB pic.twitter.com/4jXrtfXjfp

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2024

Best Fit?

Oakland/Las Vegas could build around Caglianone. In that city, that loves stars, a power-hitting standout as the main attraction could bring crowds in by the thousands. Plus, the Athletics, for the first time in forever will stop shopping in the bargain bin for talent and actually evolve into a bigger money market for players. 

Jim Callis of MLB.com had the Athletics passing on Caglianone at No. 4 in favor of Texas A&M's Braden Montgomery in his latest MLB mock draft. The White Sox nab Caglianone with No. 5 in the hopes of replicating another intimidating first-baseman whose bat did his talking for the Sox - The Big Hurt, Frank Thomas.