Plant High grad Jac Caglianone goes No. 6 overall in 2024 MLB Draft

University of Florida two-way star is an elite power hitter and pitcher; Palm Beach Central grad Cam Smith and Hardee High shortstop Kellon Lindsey also selected in first round

Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) singles in the 2024 College World Series. Sunday, the Plant High (Florida) grad was selected No. 6 overall in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

When you are compared to perhaps the best baseball player on the planet - Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani – you must be one special baseball prospect.

That's the line on University of Florida baseball player Jac Caglianone, who also starred at Plant High in Tampa on the high school level. Sunday night, Caglianone was drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, at No. 6 overall, by the Kansas City Royals. Other Florida high school products also drafted in the first round on Sunday were Florida State infielder Cam Smith, a graduate of Palm Beach Central High School, and Hardee High shortstop Kellon Lindsey. Smith went No. 14 overall to the Chicago Cubs and Lindsey was picked No. 23 overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In two seasons with the Gators, Caglianone hit 68 home runs and drove in 162 runs in just 137 games. He also tossed more than 70 innings in each season with 170 strikeouts. As a hitter, his MLB Draft grade was 55 and he graded at 70 for his power. He also had a 60 rating on his arm and a 55 grade on his defensive skills as a first-baseman.

As a pitcher, Caglianone got a 70 grade for his fastball, 55 for his changeup and 50 each for his slider and cutter.

"A 6-foot-5 physical beast, Caglianone has top of the class left-handed raw power, and he gets to it, as evidenced by his Division I-leading 33 home runs in 2023," said his MLB Draft profile. "He’s very aggressive in the box and there was concern about his tendency to chase pitches out of the zone (44 percent chase rate last year), but he doesn’t strike out a lot and makes a lot of hard contact. He’s cut his miss and chase rates in 2024 and has a miniscule strikeout rate this spring. He’s solid defensively at first base as well."

His profile attributed to some of his control issues as a college pitcher to his recovery from Tommy John surgery but stated "a more compact delivery was helping him stay around the zone more, even if his walk rate still remained high. He touches triple digits with his fastball and he introduced a 90-mph cutter that he featured more than his slider this fall to go along with a solid changeup. He might be a top-of-the-first-round bat, with some seeing him more as a second-rounder on the mound."

At Plant he was a four-year letter winner and was named a FACA All-American, a two-time All-State selection and three-time All-Area honoree, as a two-way player.

Smith hit 29 home runs in two seasons with the Seminoles and posted a .981 OPS in the prestigious Cape Cod League in the summer of 2023. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he is expected to grow into an outstanding power hitter as an infielder.

He was the No. 1 rated high school shortstop in Florida in 2022 at Palm Beach Central. He was named the 2022 South Florida Sun Sentinel 7A-6A Player of the Year after hitting .435 with 18 extra-base hits and 32 RBI as a senior.

Florida State Seminoles third baseman Cam Smith (24) throws to first base against the North Carolina Tar Heels during at the 2024 College World Series in June. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Lindsey is the current No. 1 rated high school shortstop in Florida and for good reason. Rated as Florida's top high school draft prospect by SBLive Sports, Lindsey's stock has been rising

Hardee has outstanding size at 6-foot-2, 175-pounds and is rated as an elite base-runner with a 75 grade. He is graded as a 55 hitter with a 40 power grade. Defensively, he grades as a 50 on both arm strength and overall fielding ability.

"Lindsey has burst on the scene this spring to create buzz as a player with as much helium as any in the class," said his glowing MLB Draft report. "A former quarterback, Lindsey missed the summer showcase circuit because of injury but had scouts of all levels running to Hardee Senior High School to see him action.

"A premium athlete who can record 80-grade run times, Lindsey has already taken a big step forward in all facets of the game after deciding to stop playing football and focus on the diamond. He has a better feel for the game than some might think based on his multisport background. He has a short, right-handed swing geared to making contact and sending line drives up the middle."

His .403 batting average as a Hardee senior and 26 stolen bases proved that he has elite baseball tools. Prior to being drafted he had committed to play college baseball at Florida State.

Hardee shortstop Kellon Lindsey was selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was selected with the 23rd overall pick. /