Caglianone swaps jerseys with old friend at Spring Breakout
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When Royals top prospect and MLB’s No. 22 prospect Jac Caglianone stepped to the plate in the seventh inning Friday night, he saw the D-backs' outfielders take a step back. Well, maybe a few steps back. Arizona pitcher Philip Abner, watching from the dugout, thought that was
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When Royals top prospect and MLB’s No. 22 prospect Jac Caglianone stepped to the plate in the seventh inning Friday night, he saw the D-backs' outfielders take a step back. Well, maybe a few steps back.
Arizona pitcher Philip Abner, watching from the dugout, thought that was probably smart.
"Everything he hits,” Abner said, “is hard.”
Abner, Caglianone's former teammate and roommate at the University of Florida, knows this all too well. Sure enough, Caglianone did indeed hit the snot out of a fastball from D-backs prospect Daniel Eagen, a 109.6 mph rocket that headed straight for the glove of left fielder Anderdson Rojas.
Another hard-hit out on an unusually chilly night in Scottsdale, one of several for the Royals’ prospects in their 5-2 loss to the D-backs' prospects in their Spring Breakout game.
"When I hit it and didn’t see the left fielder move, that’s such a bad feeling,” Caglianone said, laughing. “But I was just trying to not do too much. Took that first hack on a curveball, then just had to reset. Hit that ball really hard. Just right where they were standing."
Caglianone went 1-for-4 and played all eight innings the Royals were in the field at first base.
After the game, Caglianone and Abner, who didn’t pitch Friday, swapped jerseys behind home plate. They were set on making it happen after finding out the D-backs would host the Royals in the second year of Spring Breakout.
Caglianone was hoping to face Abner, whom the D-backs selected in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft out of Florida, a year before Caglianone went to the Royals with the No. 6 overall pick.
"This is an important game, especially against the Royals with Jac, and it’s just fun to be a part of it even if we didn’t get to face each other,” Abner said.
"You couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” Caglianone added. “Especially with the jersey swap. It’s always nice to see Phil. We had two years together at Florida and they were super fun and memorable. It’s cool to see him again and do this."
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
Caglianone did record a knock off Abner in the Arizona Fall League last year, so he still holds bragging rights over his fellow Gator.
"Good extension, good curveball,” Caglianone said of Abner. “He’s got like a cut-ride heater, so it kind of plays games with your mind when you see it come in because it looks like it’ll break, but it won’t.”
But Abner knows what he wants to do when he is able to face Caglianone again.
"In the Fall League, I blew him up with a fastball, and then he smacked another fastball,” Abner said. “Definitely next time I've got to get some breaking balls away, try to get some swing-and-miss. You can only throw Jac so many fastballs before he smacks one.”
Mozzicato’s velocity
Frank Mozzicato had to wait his turn to pitch on Friday, but it was worth the wait. The Royals’ No. 12 prospect struck out two in the final two innings, and what stood out almost as much as the two zeros he threw on the board was the velocity that was flashing up there.
Mozzicato topped out at 93.7 mph and averaged 92.4 mph. At High-A Quad Cities last year, Mozzicato was throwing 88-89 mph with his fastball, leading to some concerning underlying metrics despite the 3.45 ERA he posted over 22 starts. His strikeout rate dipped to 21.3%, while his walk rate remained high at 14.5%.
A focus this offseason on his mindset on the mound and mentality off it has Mozzicato pitching “freer” this spring, he said. And the Royals have zeroed in on Mozzicato’s delivery, trying to shorten his arm action, to lead to better command.
Time will tell if all the work Mozzicato has done in the offseason and so far this spring will pay off for the left-hander, the Royals’ first-round pick in 2021. He’ll likely be heading to Double-A to begin the season, where better hitters will challenge him. But he certainly looked the part Friday night, mowing down three batters in the seventh inning and working around a walk and a single in the eighth.
"Last year, I learned a lot about myself and really honed in on my mechanics and how I’m feeling,” Mozzicato said. “So I definitely think it’s in me. But what’s most important is getting outs at the end of the day. That’s what they pay you for."
Vazquez is ‘fast’
Daniel Vazquez, the Royals’ No. 27 prospect, was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored and tried to get things going for the Kansas City offense when he tripled in the sixth inning. He was ready for a 2-0 fastball and got one in the zone, smoking it the opposite way into the right-field corner.
The Royals’ second baseman was thinking double out of the box, but hit the gas when he saw the ball go down the line.
"And I am fast,” Vazquez said. “This game was pretty fun. I had a good time with my team and facing [the D-backs], who have good players. Everyone on the field was good. The competition was really good.”
The Royals were aggressive when they sent Vazquez to Single-A Columbia as an 18-year-old. Three seasons later, he looks to finally be ready for the next level. Now 21, Vazquez is bigger, stronger and faster and seems to have made improvements with his swing to be ready for High-A this year.
While Vazquez is by no means a finished product and still needs to see improvement for him to reach his ceiling, he’s hitting more line drives now, can work a walk like he did in the ninth inning Friday and create some chaos on the bases when needed.
Anne Rogers covers the Royals for MLB.com.
Chasers Secure Series with 8-6 Win Over Bisons
BUFFALO, NY – The Omaha Storm Chasers secured a series win after defeating the Buffalo Bisons 8-6 on Sunday afternoon. The Storm Chasers took an early 1-0 advantage in the 1st inning after MJ Melendez led off with a solo home run, his first leadoff homer in the minors, the
Late Rally Falls Short in Chasers loss to Bisons
BUFFALO, NY – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 3-2 to the Buffalo Bisons in the 2nd game of their 3-game series, forcing a rubber match in the series finale Sunday. Rich Hill started Saturday night’s game with 2.0 scoreless frames and a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd. In his 9th
Chasers Take Series Opener from Bisons
BUFFALO, NY – The Omaha Storm Chasers snapped their 4-game losing streak with Friday night’s series opening 7-3 win over the Buffalo Bisons. The Storm Chasers took an early 3-0 advantage in the 1st inning. MJ Melendez led off with a double, then scored on an RBI single from Carter
Omaha Falls 6-1 to Toledo
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 6-1 to the Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday afternoon, dropping their 5th of the 6-game series. Rich Hill started Sunday afternoon’s game and opened the game with 4.0 scoreless innings and 8 strikeouts, though Toledo took a 1-0 lead in the 5th
Omaha Drops Back-and-Forth Game to Toledo
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 6-5 Saturday night against the Toledo Mud Hens, in a back-and-forth game that featured four lead changes.. Dallas Keuchel made his Storm Chasers debut Saturday night and the lefty threw a 1-2-3 1st inning, striking out 1. In the bottom of the
Omaha Shut Out by Mud Hens in 1-0 Loss
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped their second straight to the Toledo Mud Hens, a pitcher’s duel that ended 1-0 in favor of the Mud Hens. Right-hander Thomas Hatch made his team-leading 6th quality start on Friday night, firing 6.0 scoreless frames and striking out 7, on a
Chasers Fall 3-2 in Pitcher’s Duel With Toledo
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers were defeated 3-2 by the Toledo Mud Hens Thursday night, a pitcher’s duel that did not see a run score until the 6th inning. Right-Hander John Gant started the game for Omaha and fired 5.0 scoreless innings for the second time in just
Chasers Bats Erupt in 13-7 Victory Over Toledo
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers defeated the Toledo Mud Hens 13-7 on Wednesday night, securing the team’s first win of the series. Right-hander Chandler Champlain started Wednesday night’s game for Omaha and Toledo took a 1-0 lead in the 1st with an RBI double. Champlain worked 1-2-3 innings
Melendez Homers Twice in Series Opening Loss to Toledo
PAPILLON, NEB. – Despite 4 home runs, the Omaha Storm Chasers fell 12-8 in their series opener against the Toledo Mud Hens Tuesday afternoon. Left-hander Rich Hill started Tuesday afternoon’s game for the Storm Chasers and Toledo took an early 7-0 advantage with three 2-run home runs in the first
HOMESTAND PREVIEW: Toledo Mud Hens, July 8-13
TUESDAY, JULY 8 VS. TOLEDO MUD HENS FIRST PITCH: 12:05 P.M. | GATES: 11:00 AM LHP RICH HILL (4-2, 4.94 ERA) vs. TBD PITCH IN FOR THE PANTRY: Bring three cans of non-perishable food items and receive one Leonard Management McDonald’s berm ticket. Donations benefit NeighborGood Pantry. | Presented by
Omaha Drops Series Finale to Iowa
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 9-5 in Sunday night’s series finale against the Iowa Cubs. Right-hander Justin Dunn got off to a shaky start, as Iowa took a 4-0 lead in the1st inning on an RBI single, 2-run throwing error, and RBI groundout, though two of the
Chasers Beat Cubs Behind Quality Start from Hatch
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers snapped their 3-game losing streak with Saturday night’s 8-4 win over the Iowa Cubs. Thomas Hatch made his 15th start with Omaha on Saturday night and began with a 1-2-3 1st inning. In the 2nd, Iowa took a 1-0 lead on a solo
Storm Chasers Drop Third Straight to I-Cubs
PAPILLON, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped their third straight game in Friday night’s 7-2 loss, in front of a sellout crowd at Werner Park on Independence Day. Right-hander John Gant started the game and fired 5.0 scoreless frames with 1-2-3 innings in the 2nd and 3rd. Gant struck
Omaha Offense Stalls in 12-3 Loss to Iowa
DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped their second straight game to the Iowa Cubs with a 12-3 loss Thursday night. Omaha plated the first runs of the game in the 1st inning, when MJ Melendez led off with a walk and Cam Devanney connected on a 2-run
HOMESTAND PREVIEW: Iowa Cubs, July 4-6
FRIDAY, JULY 4 VS. IOWA CUBS FIRST PITCH: 7:05 P.M. | GATES: 6:00 PM RHP John Gant (1-2, 7.96 ERA) vs. RHP Kenta Maeda (1-3, 7.20 ERA) Independence Day Fireworks: Celebrate our nation’s freedom with one of the best firework shows in the Omaha metro! One of the metro’s longest
Chasers Drop Second Game of Series to Cubs
DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers were defeated 10-6 by the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park for their first loss of the series. Left-hander Rich Hill started the game with a scoreless 1st inning, though Iowa plated runs in the subsequent three frames and led
Chasers take Series Opener from Cubs
DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers snapped a 3-game losing streak with a 10-7 win over the Iowa Cubs Tuesday night at Principal Park. In the top of the 1st inning, Omaha jumped to an early 3-0 lead. Cavan Biggio doubled, advancing to third on an Iowa error,
Carter Jensen Named to 2025 All-Star Futures Game
PAPILLION, Neb. – Major League Baseball has announced rosters for the 2025 All-Star Futures Game and Omaha Storm Chasers catcher Carter Jensen will represent the Kansas City Royals on the American League roster. The 26th edition of the Futures Game will be played at 3:00 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, July
Omaha Falls 3-2, Drops Series to Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped their third straight game against the Indianapolis Indians with a final score of 3-2, securing Omaha’s fifth series loss of the year to begin the second half. Right-hander Thomas Hatch started Sunday afternoon’s game, and turned in his third scoreless start with
Omaha Drops Second Straight to Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – The Omaha Storm Chasers were defeated 12-1 by the Indianapolis Indians Saturday night, giving Indy a chance to claim a series win Sunday. Omaha plated the first run of the game in the top of the 1st inning. Dairon Blanco led off with a double, then Michael
Chasers Shut out by Indians 2-0
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – The Omaha Storm Chasers were shut out by the Indianapolis Indians 2-0 Friday night, a pitcher’s duel that saw just 8 total hits from the two teams. Omaha threw a bullpen game, with right-hander Stephen Nogosek as the opener. In his third start with Omaha, Nogosek began
Omaha Blows Out Indianapolis with Season High 17 Runs
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – The Omaha Storm Chasers won a second straight against the Indianapolis Indians, with a final score of 17-2 Thursday night. Omaha’s season-high 17 runs came on a season-high 19 hits and season-high 6 home runs. The Storm Chasers jumped to a 4-0 advantage in the 1st inning
Storm Chasers Rally Late in 7-5 Win Against the Indians
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – The Storm Chasers defeated the Indianapolis Indians 7-5 in Wednesday afternoon’s 10-inning game. After the Indians took a 5-0 lead, Omaha responded with 7 runs to secure its first win of the series. Chandler Champlain made his team-leading 15th start in Wednesday afternoon’s game. The right-hander worked
Omaha Drops Series Opener 9-1 in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – Omaha began the second half of its season Tuesday night, falling 9-1 to the Indianapolis Indians, extending Omaha’s losing streak to seven games. Right-hander Thomas Hatch started Tuesday night’s game for Omaha, and the Indians jumped to an early 7-0 lead in the first two innings with
Omaha Swept with 7-6 Loss to Durham
OMAHA, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers were swept for the second time this year with Sunday night’s 7-6 loss to Durham, the first time the Chasers have been swept in a 6-game series at home. Right-hander John Gant made his 2nd start of the week Sunday. Throughout the first