The Kansas City Royals will make a major change to the squad ahead of their Tuesday series opening at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, according to reports.
Jac CaglianoneIt was sixth in the amateur draft last July, and the Royals’ top prospects in the latest update to the latest team prospects for Kiley McDaniels, which will still be promoted from Triple-A Omaha despite the team already at its most natural first base position. Caglianone should see most of his game time in the right field, where he played six of six games for Omaha, but it can also be seen at designated hitters, first base and even on the left field.
Wherever he settles on the defensive end, Caglianone will be the top pickup for fantasy baseball managers, thanks to his tremendous potential for power. To illustrate, he had 11 of his 40 hits in 40 hits with Omaha, including all six home runs he had there, hitting at an average of 109.4 mph. In 50 games between Omaha and Northwest Arkansas this season, Kagriyani hit .322/.389/.593 with 15 home runs.
Although Kansas City's Kaufman Stadium is one of the worst power environments in baseball - Statcast's three-year average left-handed batsman actually rated it as this Worst of all - Caglianone's ability to go beyond the fence makes him unwilling to care about in the home run department, rather than the average player. Salvador Perez (27 years old, 2021), Jorge Soler (21, 2019) and Bobby Witt Jr. (19, 2023) are all batsmen, and their power figures are not completely covered by their home court.
It is expected to be around 20 home runs for the rest of the year, although his massive swing could cause him to strike at higher speeds and is much lower on the average of the major than the average for college (0.355 career in Florida) or minors (.292 in both seasons). However, he has enough painting trails to help neutralize in points-based leagues.
Caglianone isn't the only left-handed Slugger to add. Let's go to the next, an older batsman, but in an environment that is more conducive to large runs.
Max Munchy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers (available in ESPN League 69.4%): A three-man, eight RBI weekends have a long way to go in improving the batsman’s fantasy profile, but in Monsie’s case, he’s a player and shouldn’t be released as many leagues as he did in the early weeks of the season. He is a long underrated point league batsman with a walking rate of at least 14% for nine consecutive seasons, five of which also allowed him to pass at least 0.260 isolated abilities. Munchy's Statcast metric is within his 2023 36-Homer campaign range, where he ranks 48th among batsmen with 363 fantasy scores. He will continue to play against right-handers regularly, occasionally playing against left-handers, and rank fifth or sixth in one of the most baseball rosters.
Daniel Palencia of Chicago Cub RP (available at 85.3%): His campaign as a universal fantasy pickup, not to mention in the barbecue league, isn't difficult. Since Ryan Pressly lost his grip against the Cubs, Porter Hodge then landed on the injured roster with a diagonal problem (not to mention his IL extending after his hip setback), Palencia saved the team’s past eight wins. This is also not a temporary fill arrangement, as Palencia has the original stuff that keeps him in the role as his average fastball of 99.2 mph has dirty moves and helps him keep left-handed at .061/.184/.121 of the season. The late rescuer on such a hot streak is well worth speculating, as teams don’t usually want to change roles in these situations, and the Cubs should offer more savings.
Drew Rasmussen, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (62.0% Available): He played exactly six innings in three straight games, had seven outings this season (11 in total), and had at least five innings pitching, not more than one inning. Rasmussen's 2025 performance fell into fantasy, and despite his limited role-Rays gave him more than 80 outings pitches, it does partly explain his roster in the Standard League. Still, if your league uses a lineup every week, he's well worth a pair of up with the Texas Rangers and the Miami Marlins home.
Cole Young, SS/2B, Seattle Sailor (97.9%): Another top prospect for professional candidates recently received, Young's prospect profile is not Caglianone's, but for those who need Speedster and base experts, he can be a convenient pickup. Young went 13.2% in his minor's career, swept 22 bags in 2023 and now he will be the Mariners' second baseman, and he will extend the look. He is a high-rise midfielder and worth a look in any league bigger than ESPN's standard.
Ernie Clement, 3b/2b/ss, Toronto Blue Jays (94.3% available): Another player who shouldn't have as many leagues as it was in the early weeks of the season, Clement's profile is not quite Enough to consider in the ESPN standard format. However, his contact ability and defensive versatility can be an asset in any deeper situation. He is already eligible for three infield positions and is part of adding the first base.
Ryan Yarbrough, RP/SP, New York Yankees (92.9%): Initially, with the Yankees’ rotation padding, Yarbrough seemed to have become the fifth starting role for a team that was unexpectedly thin in starting the pitch. His sweeps and substitutions this season have been more swings and missed than any previous first-year. It's not unthinkable that Yarbrough's contribution to the Yankees could be somewhere near his first two seasons at the Rays, where he had a collective 4.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.