Caglianone's Power Bat Looms Large as A's Visit Kauffman
Two teams buried in the standings meet at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday night, but buried doesn't mean boring — not when one lineup features a slugger with 22 home runs and 60 RBI. Our model doesn't have a validated read on this one, so we're going straight to the tape.
The Athletics (49-77) limp into Kansas City having lost more games than almost anyone in the league, while the Royals (53-74) aren't exactly setting the world on fire either. This is a late-August game between two clubs playing out the string, but the individual matchups on the field are worth your attention. Gage Jump is expected to take the mound for Oakland, and he'll be walking into a Royals lineup that has a genuine middle-of-the-order threat capable of doing real damage.
That threat is Jac Caglianone. Twenty-two home runs and 60 RBI is a legitimate power season by any measure, and he's the clear focal point of Kansas City's offense tonight. Bobby Witt Jr. hitting .287 makes the top of that order uncomfortable for any pitcher, and Jump will need to navigate both if he wants to keep Oakland in the game. For the A's, Zack Gelof's 14 home runs give them some pop, and Jeff McNeil's 41 RBI suggest he's been a reliable run producer in the middle of their lineup — though producing runs for a 49-77 club is a lonely business. Seth Lugo is expected to start for Kansas City, and Oakland's offense will need to find a way to manufacture something against him.
Our model doesn't have a validated read on this game, and I'm not going to manufacture a lean where there isn't one. What I will say is this: Caglianone's production is the single most compelling reason to watch. If Lugo gives Kansas City length and keeps Oakland's lineup in check, the Royals have the offensive ceiling to win this one comfortably. But Jump is an unknown quantity in this spot, and unknowns cut both ways. Watch Caglianone's at-bats against Jump early — that matchup will likely tell you everything you need to know about how this night unfolds.