Royals rookie Jac Caglianone changed his look. Then, he broke out of his slump
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jac Caglianone ended a slump with a home run and contributed to a Royals win.
- Nick Loftin delivered a walk-off single after tying the game with a seventh-inning homer.
- The Royals won their third straight game and improved to 45-48 ahead of the break.
Jac Caglianone needed a minute to catch his breath as he stood on the top step of the dugout.
He had just circled the bases.
In the second inning, the Kansas City Royals outfielder blasted his third home run — a first at Kauffman Stadium — against the Pittsburgh Pirates. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Caglianone had struggled mightily at the plate. He entered hitting .064 in his last 13 games with three hits in 47 at-bats. He had drawn two walks and struck out 13 times.
Frustration mounted for the Royals phenom. It started to take its toll at the plate, but Caglianone never brought it into the field. He continued to play well defensively despite trying all he could to generate positive momentum.
“You’ve got to be a complete player,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We tell every guy that. There are going to be days where you don’t hit and you’ve got to help us in a different way. And he’s worked really hard in the outfield.”
He sported a new look, too. Caglianone tried a shorter haircut and also grew out his facial hair. The burly 22-year-old just needed something to go right.
“Everybody has been through it at some point,” Caglianone said, reflecting on the support of teammates. “So being able to lean on them and kind of pick their brain on how they got out of it has been huge.”
On Tuesday, Caglianone could finally savor a familiar round trip toward home plate. As he returned to the dugout, back was the signature smile and the infusion of joy that baseball has long provided him.
“It’s one of those memories you will remember for a long time,” Caglianone said.
The Royals picked up a 4-3 victory over the Pirates. Both teams scored with the long ball, but the Royals got the last laugh.
In the seventh inning, Nick Loftin hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall. It was his second blast in as many nights.
The Pirates tied the game in eighth inning. An inning later, the Royals had two runners reach base. Caglianone moved the winning run to third as Loftin won the game with a walk-off single.
The Royals (45-48) won their third consecutive game. Seth Lugo, who has been the subject of trade rumors, earned a no decision.
Lugo allowed two earned runs across six innings. He surrendered two home runs as Oneil Cruz and Nick Gonzales bested him. Cruz, who announced plans to enter the 2025 Home Run Derby, hit a 458-foot home run over the fountains in right field.
(Bobby Witt Jr., who finished second at last year’s derby, said he won’t be participating.)
“I didn’t feel like I had the best stuff and the best command,” Lugo said. “But, you know, I got to the seventh and obviously wish I would’ve gotten through that a little smoother. The bullpen was fresh and I tried to stay on the attack. You know, try to put pressure on their offense and came out with a win.”
The Royals are off to a hot start in July. They have posted five wins and climbed closer to .500 just ahead of the All-Star Break. On Wednesday, KC will look to make it a sweep against the Pirates (38-55).
Nick Loftin mashes again
In the seventh inning, Quatraro made a shrewd decision from the dugout. With Royals captain Salvador Perez at the plate, Quatraro challenged a potential catcher’s interference as Pirates backstop Henry Davis impeded Perez’s ability to hit the baseball.
After a short review, Perez was awarded first base. Two batters later, Loftin hit his third home run of the season.
“Honestly, it’s been nice to have some success for once,” Loftin said. “And, you know, I felt like I put together some great at-bats throughout the season and very happy with the way the outcomes have happened for us lately.”
Perez represented the additional baserunner. The catcher’s interference went down as an error in the scorebook — and a costly one for the Pirates.
Loftin, who also sported a clean-shaven look, has four hits in his last three games.
“I’m just going to let it grow for now,” Loftin said. “I’m not really that superstitious. Regardless if I had a beard or not, it probably would’ve been the same results as today. But at this rate, I’ve gotten so many texts about Gillette and sponsorship and stuff. But that is not going to happen. It’s just some funny things and crazy how stuff works like that sometimes.”
What’s next: The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Pirates. Newly-minted All-Star Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.36 ERA) will start against left-hander Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.69 ERA) in the series finale.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 9:10 PM with the headline "Royals rookie Jac Caglianone changed his look. Then, he broke out of his slump."
