The 2022 season has been largely underwhelming for the Kansas City Royals, but things might be beginning to look up. On Monday, it was announced that the club is promoting first base prospect Vinnie Pasquantino.
The No. 3 prospect in the Royals organization, Pasquantino's star has been shining bright as just about anyone's in Minor League Baseball. In 69 games with the Triple-A Omaha, the 24-year-old is slashing .280/.372/.576 with a 144 wRC+, 18 home runs and 67 RBIs. After hitting .291 at High-A Quad Cities and .310 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2022, Pasquantino has picked back up right where he left off in 2022 and took Triple-A by storm until finally being promoted to the big-league club.
Pasquantino, a smooth-hitting prospect, is known for his impressive hit tool and plus raw power. At each of his last three stops, the former 11th-round pick (319th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft) has posted a double-digit walk rate while striking out in less than 15% of his plate appearances. His patience and bat-to-ball ability make him a dangerous and patient hitter, and the pop in his bat is legitimate as well.
The lowest ISO Pasquantino has ever posted came last year in 55 games at Double-A — .250 — which still grades out as "excellent" in the FanGraphs library. He has very real potential to hit 25-plus home runs and shoot plenty of doubles into the outfield gaps at Kauffman Stadium. There isn't much that Pasquantino can't do when he's in the batter's box.
In the field and on the basepaths, that's a different story. Pasquantino has worked hard to become an adequate defender at first base, and some have rumbled that he could even possibly be tried out in a corner outfield spot. For the most part, though, he's a first baseman or designated hitter. Pasquantino's speed is lackluster, and he isn't a threat to swipe many bags or win any races once he's on base. With that said, he gets on at such a high clip that it doesn't limit his overall impact in a major way.
In correspondence with Pasquantino being called up to make his big-league debut in the immediate future, the Royals are designating RHP Ronald Bolaños for assignment. The club also announces that first baseman Carlos Santana has been traded to the Seattle Mariners (along with cash considerations) in exchange for RHPs Wyatt Mills and William Fleming.
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