The legend of Shohei Ohtani continues to grow, with more and more evidence presenting itself as time passes. He isn't the first professional baseball player to pitch and hit, but he is the most successful and accomplished of them all, masterfully tying the two together unlike ever before. It raises the question, will there and can there be another? Insert Jac Caglianone -- the next two-way sensation of baseball.
Currently attending the University of Florida, Jac, nicknamed "Jactani" on campus, is a 21-year-old first baseman, designated hitter, and left-handed pitcher. Despite the catchy moniker, Jac continues making a name for himself while avoiding the pressures of being directly compared to a once-in-a-lifetime figure like Shohei. Before we explore what makes him such a compelling player, let's first discover how he got here.
Photo by Steven Branscome - USA Today
Born in sunny Tampa, Florida, in 2003 (feel old?) Jac had seemingly been destined for stardom since day one. The two-way phenom was also a two-sport athlete at H.B. Plant High School, where he dominated basketball and baseball, winning Gatorade Player of the Year in hoops and was named a FACA All-American in baseball. Jac quickly ascended to the 33rd-ranked prospect in the country and the sixth-ranked in Florida before committing to the University in his home state.
On the mound, however, he was ranked the #1 left-handed pitcher, throwing a fastball that topped out at 94 miles per hour, pairing it with a changeup and slider combo, leading to tons of swings and misses. In his final season at Plant, he posted a 2.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings on the mound while also hitting .371 at the plate. His sensational senior season led to an invite to the 2021 Perfect Game All-American Classic, an all-star game for top high school recruits. Our guy Jac was beginning his rise to stardom.
Unfortunately, reports began coming out that the two-way star tore his UCL in his throwing arm during the game, requiring Tommy John surgery. His stock dropped, but luckily for Jac, he still had the University of Florida commitment on the table, ultimately starting his college career there.
But not even Tommy John could stop Jac Caglianone. During his freshman year in 2022, he planned to redshirt and miss the entire season. He eventually slotted in as a designated hitter for 27 games and posted a strong .887 OPS. His Gators, however, fell short of the College World Series that season. With a strong nucleus of players returning for 2023, Jac's desire to win at the University two hours away from home only intensified.
As expected, the 2023 Gators entered the season with lofty expectations, as their top-10 preseason ranking indicated. Caglianone also began the season fully healthy and ready to display his two-way prowess -- hoping to hoist the trophy at the end of the season.
When Jac is hot, staying out of his way is advised. During the 2023 season, he blasted a double off the right field wall at 120 mph exit velocity, showing off his plus power. He is an imposing figure at 6'5, 245 pounds, and displays tremendous confidence and leadership on the field. In a game versus the University of Georgia, the umpire ejects his teammate Brandon Neely from the game for a celebration, and being the jokester that Jac is, he mocks the umpire by mimicking a robot, showing no emotion after a grand slam in the bottom of the 8th inning.
But all jokes aside, Jac has every reason to celebrate his 2023 season. He solidified his status as one of the top MLB prospects, and the draft stock he lost after tearing his UCL is behind him. He banged 33 home runs -- a school record. He drove in 90 runs in 71 games. He struck out 87 batters in 74 2/3 innings pitched. His Gators made the 2023 College World Series, but Jac still fell short of his ultimate goal of winning it all after losing to a stacked LSU.
"One of the biggest things for us as a team to kind of focus on is to not have that happen again," Jac said in an interview on Show N' Go. "Our goal is to win the last game of the season." He adds, "Just because we got there last year doesn't mean it's going to be easy."
Now, Jac takes the wheel this season after his teammate and team leader Wyatt Langford went to the 2023 MLB Draft -- exactly where Caglianone will find himself in 2024, as he's currently the #1 prospect for this year's upcoming draft in a strong class of stars.
With the draft swiftly approaching, Caglianone insists he's focusing on bringing a championship to Florida rather than being the next Ohtani or worrying about draft stock. He truly embraces his role as the face of the University and shows all the intangibles of a budding star.
Will this be the year Florida wins the College World Series? It's all in Jac's hands.
Comments