Vinnie Pasquantino’s return has given the Royals something they badly needed: steady production without a lot of noise.
After coming back from a fractured hamate in his right hand, the Kansas City first baseman has played in 10 games and settled in quickly enough to look useful again, even if the power hasn’t shown up yet. He came off the IL on July 10 and got his first action the next day in the second game of the Baltimore Orioles’ season just before the All-Star break.
In those two games, he went 1-for-8 with a walk. Since the break, though, the at-bats have looked much better.
Since his return, Pasquantino is hitting .306/.405/.333 with an OPS of .738 and a wRC+ of 111. That’s not eye-popping, but it is solid. He’s also kept his usual strike-zone control intact, walking in 11.9% of his plate appearances during this stretch, right in line with his 11.1% walk rate for the season.
If you stretch the sample back to June 1, the picture gets a little stronger: .301/.383/.386 with an OPS of .769 and a wRC+ of 114. He also put together an 18-game on-base streak in that span, giving the hitters behind him plenty of chances to cash him in. He scored 13 times during that run, and the combination of walks and contact has been a big part of his value since returning.
One of the more notable parts of Pasquantino’s comeback has been the adjustment to his stance. During his rehab in Northwest Arkansas, he was working on a different look at the plate.
The change appears to center on not resting the bat on his shoulder before he starts his swing and keeping his hands more active before he triggers. The result has been better bat-to-ball work, even if the rest of the offensive package still needs to catch up.
That missing piece is the power. Pasquantino’s season slugging percentage sits at .348, and since returning he has only one extra-base hit, a double.
He has 19 extra-base hits on the year and still hasn’t reached double-digit home runs. For comparison, in 2025 he had 66 extra-base hits and a career-high 32 home runs.
There are at least some signs that the pop may be starting to creep back. His average exit velocity this season is 89.0 mph, which is on the lower side for him, but over this 10-game stretch it has climbed to 90.4 mph. His Hard% during that span is 52.2, another hint that better damage could be coming.
Another encouraging sign for Kansas City: Pasquantino is back at first base. He’s only been the DH once since returning, which matters after a hand injury.
His defense has been solid this season, too, with a career-high 4 Defensive Runs Saved, along with zeros in FRV and OAA. He has also added two stolen bases in this stretch, bringing his career total to seven and his season total to four, and he has not been caught stealing.
The Royals have been playing solid baseball since the All-Star break, and Pasquantino has fit right in. The power is still missing, but the contact, the walks, and the ability to stay on the field have made him a productive part of the lineup again.
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Royals Fire Sale Could Suddenly Change Everything For These Players
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Isaac Collins is one of the clearest examples, with his recent improvement giving him a case to climb higher in the lineup if the front office starts dealing from the major league group. Steven Cruz is in a similar spot on the pitching side, where a stronger stretch lately has made him look more capable of handling a larger bullpen role. If Kansas City does turn into a full deadline sell-off, the names leaving town could matter almost as much as the ones left behind. [Read more 🡒]