Who is pitching to Jac Caglianone in the Home Run Derby? Meet Jeff Caglianone, dad of Royals budding star

After being fast-tracked to the big leagues, Jac Caglianone will be on his brightest stage yet on Monday night.

Selected as one of the eight participants in the 2026 Home Run Derby, Caglianone will bring plenty of long-range homer power to Citizens Bank Park, able to become the youngest Derby winner ever.

As he takes on a big-name event for the first time, Caglianone will be having somebody close to him throw pitches, helping ease any potential nerves.

Here's what to know about Caglianone's pitcher at the Home Run Derby.

MORE: Who will win the Home Run Derby?

Who is pitching to Jac Caglianone in the Home Run Derby?

Caglianone's father, Jeff, will be throwing pitches to him at the 2026 Home Run Derby. 

Growing up in Tampa, Florida, Jeff has often been the pitcher for his son's batting practices in the offseason, per MLB.com. And it isn't just Jac who he's thrown to — according to MLB.com, as a coach at H.B. Plant High School, other alums from the Tampa area have also said "that they like Jeff’s BP," including Orioles slugger Pete Alonso.

“It’s something you dream about,” Jac Caglianone said, per MLB.com. “Me and my dad, the many times we hit together, we’ve always joked about it. So for it to come to fruition is pretty sick. When I received the text [from Major League Baseball] saying they were interested in me doing it, it was an immediate yes."

"It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’ll be around the best in the game. It will be sick. Sharing that with my family is probably the biggest thing. … Some of my good buddies will be there. I know they are super excited for it. Luckily, I will have somebody to coach me through it between [Witt] and Sal [Salvador Perez], I’m going to lean on them and ask some questions. It’s not about time anymore. It’s about swings. I don’t know how much of a difference that will make. I’m just super excited.”

Who is Jeff Caglianone?

Per EssentiallySports, Jeff Caglianone also played baseball long before his son took it up — he played college ball at Stetson. Now, Jeff Caglianone is and AV-rated lawyer and the managing partner of Caglianone, Miller & Zeifert in Tampa, Florida.

After throwing to Jac Caglianone for years during his upbringing as a baseball player, Jeff Caglianone will now be stepping into the spotlight for the 2026 Home Run Derby.

MORE: Does the Home Run Derby actually ruin players' swings?

Why Jac Caglianone chose his dad

Many Home Run Derby contestants in the past have chosen to take pitches from their dad — between the sentimental aspect of it, and the fact that many dads have thrown the most BPs to their sons throughout their lives, they've made for typical Derby pitchers.

Sometimes, it leads to some success. Cal Raleigh won the 2025 Derby with his father, Todd, throwing pitches, while Bryce Harper did the same with his dad, Ron, in 2018.

For Caglianone, getting his dad to throw was part of the appeal, he said.

“Having my dad throw is a huge reason why I’m doing it in the first place, to be honest with you. That’s stuff we talked about growing up, like, ‘How cool would that be?’ He’s thrown to me my entire life," Caglianone said, per MLB.com. "So when I got asked to do it, it’s like a bucket-list thing for both him and me. I think having that experience together will be like the most important thing I’ll get out of all of this.”

MORE: Ranking the 13 greatest Home Run Derby performances in history