After a surprise Wild Card run in 2024, the Kansas City Royals entered the 2025 offseason with a sense of optimism. A new generation brought hope, bolstered by savvy moves in the off-season. Adding to the excitement is Jac Caglianone, the team’s top prospect who possesses truly electrifying power. But finding the best way to deploy this talent poses a complicated challenge for the team, making for a compelling early-season narrative. How do you fit such a potent bat into an already crowded infield?

That question is especially urgent when you consider the Royals’ outfield performance, an area of ongoing troubles. Last year, Kansas City had the worst outfield of any team in Major League Baseball, posting a .222 batting average and .281 on-base percentage. That 79 wRC+ shows they produced runs almost 21% below the league average. Early signs for 2025 weren’t much better as Hunter Renfroe’s batting was just .156 and MJ Melendez‘s was at .111 over the first few weeks. The glaring weakness makes the power-hitting Jac Caglianone (2024, 6th overall) selection look like a potential solution.

Enter ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan, who crystallized the situation on the “Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney” podcast recently. Passan, analyzing the early struggles of Renfroe and Melendez, also noted fans’ demand for Caglianone, especially after his torrid Spring Training and early power displays in Double-A. However, Caglianone has no professional or collegiate experience in the outfield, according to Passan. The instant the Royals begin to deploy Caglianone at that spot in the minors, he suggested, “is going to be the bad signal,” indicating an imminent, potentially forced, call-up to the majors.

Passan’s reasoning is clear: the Royals’ outfield offensive production is “appalling.” Although Caglianone has big-time pop, as evidenced by mammoth early-season homers in Double-A, such a transition isn’t optimal planning. “He’s not an outfielder,” Passan said. Moving him there now, however, feels like a response to the big league team’s troubles. It suggests the urgency to get his bat in the lineup might overshadow optimal defensive development for the young star.

High-stakes decision: The hurdles with integrating Caglianone into the Royals

Adding to the complication is Caglianone’s natural position: first base. The Royals have established hitter Vinnie Pasquantino in that space, though he started 2025 slowly (.171 average through 12 games). Veteran leader Salvador Perez also regularly fills in at first base or designated hitter. And this creates the logjam, making it difficult to find regular at-bats for Caglianone at his primary position without disrupting the current roster significantly.

Outside of the outfield mess and the Caglianone placement problem, the Royals have other issues that need addressing. Vinnie Pasquantino, who was supposed to add a middle-order presence after knocking in 97 runs last season, has struggled to gain steam in 2025, batting just .171 with a .580 OPS over his first 12 games. It also puts more pressure on stars Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, highlighting the need for broader lineup consistency. Yet, it is far from all gloom in Kansas City.

The team has significant strengths that allow it to compete. The rotation, led by Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, and Michael Wacha, appears stable. Bobby Witt Jr. is a certified superstar, coming off a record-setting 30-homer, 45-steal season, and locked in long term. Adding Jonathan India gives them more lineup depth and versatility. These impressive core players, in addition to fan optimism, make the Royals a serious contender in the extremely competitive AL Central division race this year.

The Royals’ next strategic test is overcoming the ‘Caglianone Conundrum’. They must weigh the immediate necessity of outfield production with the careful development of their best prospect and the role of well-established veterans. The decisions made on Caglianone’s position and timeline will have a huge effect on their competitive window in 2025 and beyond. It is a high-stakes game of roster chess. Will the Royals choose to develop long-term, or will the pressure to win now force a potentially awkward fit for their young star?