choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google<\/a>.<\/p>\nJac Caglianone\u00a0is nowhere to be found in the projected lineup![\"Kansas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01kh9g7wr43bgv6qw3dq.jpg\" "\\"Kansas")
<\/p>\n
Jul 8, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) bats during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Kauffman Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Jac Caglianone\u00a0was not included in the projected lineup, either in right field or at designated hitter. The absence could surprise many Royals fans, as Caglianone has generated significant buzz in Kansas City since being selected No. 6 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.<\/p>\n
Caglianone\u00a0dominated in the minor leagues, but his production did not translate after his promotion to the majors, as he slashed .157\/.237\/.295 in 210 at-bats while also dealing with a left hamstring strain in late July. He enters this season looking to bounce back, showcase his power and improve his consistency in hopes of becoming a key contributor in the lineup.<\/p>\n
Chris Sale\u00a0is set to start on Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves against the Royals. With the left-hander on the mound, the projected lineup features newcomer\u00a0Lane Thomas\u00a0in right field. Thomas has performed well against left-handed pitching in the past, including a .302 average in 126 at-bats against southpaws in 2024. Still, his spot in right field is not what will catch fans off guard.<\/p>\n
What may raise eyebrows is who is projected to hit in front of Thomas.\u00a0Carter Jensen\u00a0is slated to serve as the designated hitter on Opening Day. Jensen impressed during his debut month in 2025, slashing .300\/.391\/.550 and emerging as a potential 2026 American League Rookie of the Year candidate. While the sample size was limited, he showcased his offensive upside and adjusted well to major league pitching.<\/p>\n
Both Jensen\u00a0and Caglianone\u00a0hit left-handed, yet the projection gives Jensen the edge despite a left-hander on the mound. MLB.com noted it would not be surprising if a right-handed hitter ultimately fills that spot because of the matchup, which would leave open the possibility that neither Jensen nor Caglianone starts Opening Day.<\/p>\n
More MLB: Royals Have One of MLB’s Most Exciting Young Infielders on Roster<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 MLB season is here. With teams reporting to spring training, Opening Day is right around the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475882,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[64,63,591,85],"class_list":["post-475881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}