Caglianone receives silent treatment after 1st career homer ... but not 2nd!

ARLINGTON -- For the first time since he debuted with the Royals three weeks ago, Jac Caglianone wasn’t in the lineup Wednesday night against the Rangers. Manager Matt Quatraro encouraged the Royals’ top prospect to use it as a mental reset and watch the game from a different perspective, not having to worry about all that comes with game preparation and in-game adjustments as a starter.

Caglianone told himself he wouldn’t take a swing on Wednesday, to truly give himself a break.

It didn’t take him long to decide that wasn’t going to happen, instead coming to the ballpark early for extra work.

An intense day in the batting cages and watching the game from the dugout had Caglianone prepared for Thursday, when the slugger hit not just one but his first two career home runs in the Royals’ 4-1 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field, securing a three-game sweep in Arlington for the first time since July 11-13, 2003.

In his first at-bat Thursday, Caglianone crushed his first career home run, a 387-foot shot in the second inning. He added to his milestone day with his second home run in the ninth inning, sending it out to right-center field again but higher into the crowd at 439 feet.

Caglianone became the fourth player in Royals history to hit his first two career homers in the same game, joining Mark Quinn (1999), U L Washington (1979) and Jim Rooker (1969).

It only took Caglianone 14 games to hit his first home run, but for a power hitter who got to the big leagues because of all the home runs he hit in the Minors, the wait for his first long ball was starting to wear on him a little bit.

“It was something I tried not to think about,” Caglianone said. “But as the days kept climbing, I was conscious of it, more and more. Got a nice little relief right there.”

Caglianone’s first home run showcased his otherworldly strength, while his second showcased his smooth left-handed stroke on a mistake pitch in the zone. In the second inning Thursday, Caglianone drove a 95.5 mph fastball from lefty Jacob Latz -- a pitch that was 4.22 feet above the ground, which is the second-highest pitch anyone has homered off this year and the highest pitch a Royals player has homered on under pitch tracking (2008).

“Me and [hitting coach Alec Zumwalt’s] plan all day was to get him up in the zone,” Caglianone said. “I didn’t realize until I looked back on video how far up I got him.”

When the ball landed in the Rangers’ bullpen, Caglianone cracked a grin, rounding the bases quickly -- only for the rookie to be met with the silent treatment from his teammates in the Royals’ dugout.

Caglianone simulated a high-five line all by himself -- which felt like “forever,” he said -- until finally Salvador Perez broke down at the end of the dugout and gave Caglianone a big hug, followed by Bobby Witt Jr. and the rest of the group.

“We know he’s been wanting to get that first one,” Witt said.

Caglianone made his debut for the Royals on June 3 and collected his first hit in his second game. But it’s been a little bit of a slow start for MLB’s No. 10 prospect; he entered Thursday slashing .196/.212/.235 with two RBIs.

The Royals have encouraged Caglianone to stay the course and keep working.

“He’s been here early, he’s been doing his work and trying to get better,” Witt said. “In the big leagues, there are always adjustments that need to be made. He’s been doing it. So I’ve just told him, ‘Slow it down, let it happen, let it come to you.’”

After his second homer, the Royals greeted and celebrated Caglianone like normal. This is probably something they’ll have to get used to with the rookie’s massive power now making its big league entrance.

Caglianone joined the home run-fest the Royals showcased this series with seven homers across the three games, allowing the offense to break out and put last week’s 0-6 homestand in the past. More importantly, all of the middle-of-the-order hitters got in on the power action this week.

Witt and Perez hit homers Tuesday night. Maikel Garcia added a big three-run jack on Wednesday. Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino joined in on Thursday.

Pasquantino’s two-run shot gave the Royals an early lead, setting the tone for starter Michael Wacha’s six strong innings of one-run ball.

“This series was a good indication of, like, we can hit them,” Pasquantino said. “… Might be the first series that all of our middle-of-the-order hitters hit one. And that’s what we’re here to do. It was a nice reminder that we can do it. We definitely have some more confidence when all that happens.”