College baseball has been underway for just a month now, and two-way superstar Jac Caglianone is already turning heads.
The projected top pick in the 2024 MLB Draft has drawn comparisons to worldwide two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, whom some consider the best player in the league.
Caglianone is ranked inside the top ten on every draft website, including being number 5 and projected to go first overall by MLB. Out of the many two-way players at the college level, is known by scouts to have the most legitimate chance of actually becoming a two-way player in the pros.
The 21 year old led all of Division I players with 33 home runs last year, and scouts say they love his ability to spray the ball to all fields with authority. His easy, yet powerful left-handed swing helps him sit inside the top exit velocities in the entire country.
“As a Florida fan, I can say this kid is really special,” Ryan Bohrman said. “Every time he heads up to the plate, fans get out of their seats and lock in on the plate. That’s how good he is.”
According to ProspectsLive (a website dedicated to scouting baseball prospects at every level), scouts love Caglianone’s quick hand speed and torque with the bat. They called his bat an “easy double-plus,” meaning he ranks higher than more than double any prospect in his class.
This year, Caglianone is slashing an elite .391/.480/.781 with 16 HR, putting him in the top statistical categories through just 31 games played. Not to mention, he is also playing first base 74% of the game (something Ohtani has never done) and pitching the rest of the time.
“While he bats and pitches like Ohtani, he can also play a serviceable first base. That’s something that gets lost in all of his numbers. The fact he also plays in the field is huge,” NHS junior Jonathan Moseman said.
Scouts say he is solid defensively and could easily play there professionally, but it would make sense in the pros to DH if he pitches just to keep him off his legs.
At 6’5, MLB.com states he is a “physical beast,” and he has not even fully developed. The former Tommy John survivor has a 70-grade fastball getting up to 100 mph and adds a slider, cutter, and changeup in the mix.
So far in 2024, Caglianone has logged a 2.18 ERA with 44 K’s in just 33.1 innings pitched, putting him yet again at the top of the leaderboard.
“He’s been extremely impressive so far this year. All he needs to do is stay healthy,” Dennis Petrino said. “I wouldn’t be shocked if he goes [first overall] in the draft with his skillset.”
Caglianone and the No. 6 Florida Gators will visit top ranked teams like Florida State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas to end the month.