By MATT PIKE
The Kansas City Royals have named their players of the month for June, announcing that outfielder and first baseman Jac Caglianone and starting pitcher Michael Wacha have been named Player and Pitcher of the Month.
Caglianone slashed .309/.387/.649 with three doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 19 RBI's in 25 games last month, ranking among the American League leaders in runs scored, home runs, OPS, slugging percentage, total bases, extra-base hits, and hits. His combination of home runs and RBI's in June are marks that have only been met twice previously by a Royal in a single month in franchise history before turning 24, matching teammate Bobby Witt Jr. in August 2023 and John Mayberry in September 1972.
He led the Majors last month with three multi home run games, becoming the first Royal to have three such efforts in a single month since Salvador Perez in June 2021 en route to a franchise-record-tying 48 HR that season. Of his nine home runs in June, four came off left-handed pitchers, which was tied for the second most in the Majors, behind Ketel Marte, while his five homers with runners on base ranked tied for third in the MLB, trailing Hunter Goodman and Junior Caminero.
Caglianone also recorded 10 multi-hit efforts in 25 games last month, after having just eight multi-hit contests over his first 54 games from the beginning of the year to the end of May, which was tied with Josh Jung, Paul Goldschmidt and Yandy Díaz for the second most in the American League, behind only Dillon Dingler. This marks Caglianone’s first career monthly honor.
Wacha led all Royals starting pitchers last month with a 3.51 ERA, while his 33.1 innings were tied with Tanner Bibee for the fifth most in the American League, behind only Shane Baz, Jacob deGrom, Gage Jump, and Sonny Gray. Including his 38.0 innings in May, he’s the first Royals pitcher to throw at least 33.0 innings in back-to-back months since Seth Lugo did so from May to June of 2024. After beginning last month 0-2 with a 5.68 in his first two starts from June 5th through the 11th, Wacha recorded three consecutive quality starts, all on the road from June 16th to the 27th, a stretch in which he went 1-0 with a 2.18 ERA.
His three road quality starts last month were tied with seven others for the Major League lead and were tied for his most such outings in any month of his career. Wacha issued just four walks in five starts through June, which was tied with Drew Rasmussen for the fewest allowed by an American League pitcher on the month, trailing only Kyle Freeland for the Major League lead. His four walks allowed in June were tied for his fewest allowed in any month of his Major League career, joining last August and September 2022 while with the Red Sox. He did not allow a home run in each of his final three starts in June, closing out the month on a season-long 24.2-inning homerless streak.
This marks Wacha’s second straight monthly honor and the third of his career, and he’s the first pitcher to receive the award in back-to-back months since Kris Bubic from March/April-May 2025.
The awards are determined by a local media vote.
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