KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals selected Jac Caglianone, a first baseman and left-handed pitcher out of the University of Florida, with the 6th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft. He is the second player selected by Kansas City 6th overall in franchise history, following Zack Greinke in 2002.
As a junior this season at Florida, Caglianone set the school’s single-season home run record (35) and the school’s career home run record (75). In 66 games this season, he slashed .419/.544/.875 with 72 RBI and walked (58) more than he struck out (26), even if you remove intentional walks (27).Caglianone homered in 9 consecutive games from April 6-19, matching the NCAA Division I record done previously by Nevada’s Tyler Bosetti in 2021. The 7th home run of Caglianone’s streak measured approximately 516 ft.In 16 starts on the mound, the left hander went 5-2 with 83 strikeouts in 73.2 innings (10.1 K/9) while touching triple digits with his fastball. That made him the runaway winner of the 2024 John Olerud Award for college baseball’s best two-way player.Caglianone, 21, is the second player selected with Kansas City’s 1st pick from the University of Florida, following fellow Gator Brady Singer, whom the Royals selected 18th overall in 2018.
With the 41st pick in the 2nd round, Kansas City selected left-handed pitcher David Shields from Mt. Lebanon High School (Pa.).
Shields, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound 17-year-old pitcher was crowned the Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year in June after leading the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils to a 28-2 record. He went 5-0 with a 0.25 ERA, 52 strikeouts and just 3 walks on the mound. At the plate, he batted .418 with 7 doubles and 28 RBI, compiling a 1.244 OPS. He is committed to play baseball at the University of Miami (Fla.).Shields has volunteered locally at the Miracle League baseball facility operated by Major League veteran, Sean Casey. He’s also donated his time to multiple youth events such as clinics, evaluations and games in association with the Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association.