Jac Caglianone's two-homer, four-RBI night sets Royals record in win over Cubs

Jac Caglianone hit two home runs and drove in four runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs on a Saturday night in August 2026, a performance that set a franchise record. According to one Royals-focused report, it was a night no other hitter in club history had previously produced. Reports also suggest Caglianone added two doubles, giving him four extra-base hits in the game. Caglianone, whose full name is Jeffrey Alan Caglianone, plays right field and first base for Kansas City. The Royals selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft out of the University of Florida, where he starred for the Gators as both a first baseman and a pitcher. He also represents Italy in international competition. The record night arrived with little warning to most observers — but not all. A Forbes betting column published ahead of the August 5 slate had flagged Caglianone as one of two left-handed batters worth backing for a home run. With Randy Dobnak set to start the next game, Kansas City turned its attention to securing the series.

Caglianone's record-setting night against the Cubs

Jac Caglianone produced the finest night of his young career on a Saturday in August 2026, hitting two home runs and driving in four runs to power the Kansas City Royals past the Chicago Cubs. The performance set a franchise record, with a Royals-focused report describing it as a night no other hitter in club history had previously produced.

According to that same coverage, Caglianone added two doubles to his pair of homers, giving him four extra-base hits in a single game. Those specific figures come from Royals-centric reporting and have not been widely confirmed elsewhere, but the central facts of the night are clear: two home runs, four runs batted in, and a Kansas City victory.

The win kept the Royals on the front foot in the series against Chicago, with Randy Dobnak slated to start as Kansas City pursued a series victory. For Caglianone, the 2024 first-round draft pick out of Florida, the night marked a signature moment — the kind of multi-homer game that announces a power hitter's arrival at the major league level. He has been splitting time between right field and first base for the Royals, and his bat did the loudest talking of all against the Cubs.

From Florida two-way star to sixth overall pick

Jeffrey Alan Caglianone arrived in Kansas City with a pedigree few recent draft picks can match. An American professional baseball player who lines up in right field and at first base, he was selected by the Royals with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

His path to the majors ran through the University of Florida, where he was a genuine two-way talent for the Gators. Caglianone played first base and pitched, a combination that made him one of the most closely watched college players in the country before Kansas City called his name on draft night.

Though American, Caglianone represents Italy in international baseball competition, adding another dimension to a career already moving quickly. The Royals invested a premium pick in his bat and versatility, and his rise through the organisation has been swift. Barely two years removed from college baseball, he has established himself as a fixture in Kansas City's lineup, giving the club a young power presence around which to build.

A breakout the betting column saw coming

Not everyone was caught off guard by Caglianone's power display. A Forbes betting column published ahead of the August 5, 2026 MLB slate had flagged the Royals slugger as one of two left-handed batters worth backing in home run wagers, singling him out as a candidate to go deep that night.

The tip proved prescient. Caglianone obliged with not one but two home runs, rewarding anyone who followed the recommendation and turning a speculative wager into a winning ticket. For sharp observers tracking his swing, the breakout was less a surprise than a payoff.

Dobnak takes the mound as Royals chase the series

The Royals were not done with Chicago. Randy Dobnak was set to take the mound as Kansas City pursued a series victory over the Cubs, looking to build on the momentum of the Saturday night win.

Beyond the Cubs series, the schedule offered little respite. According to reports, the Royals were slated to face the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 10, though that date had not been firmly confirmed. A meeting with the Dodgers would test a Kansas City club hoping its young lineup could carry its form into the season's stretch run.

Frequently asked questions