The Kansas City Royals are a team that is full of young talent and ready to prove themselves.
The team lost 97 games last season, which led to the firing of their manager Mike Matheny.
Still, their young talent is enviable, and it has them positioned to potentially make improvements in 2023.
While players such as Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez grab most of the headlines, there is another player on the team that could be just as important.
Former MLB player Xavier Scruggs, now an MLB Network analyst, talked about the importance of slugger Vinnie Pasquantino and what his emergence could mean for the Royals.
This guy may be just as important to the @Royals future as Bobby Witt Jr….
🔊🆙 #TogetherRoyal @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/HNlWAPSDgv
— Xavier Scruggs (@Xavier_Scruggs) February 22, 2023
The 25-year-old first baseman made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2022.
At the plate, he hit for a .295 average and crushed 10 home runs.
Scruggs talked about Pasquantino’s power and average and cited them as important tools for the young slugger as he blossoms into a star.
Last season, Pasquantino had a 135 OPS+ in just 72 games.
While it’s only a small sample size, Scruggs believes that the 25-year-old slugger is a player that teams are going to have to be careful pitching to when facing the Royals.
Pasquantino brings power from the left side of the plate and can hit for a high average, using all parts of the field to pick up hits and find ways to get on base.
Though Melendez and Witt may be generating more excitement, Pasquantino is somebody to keep an eye on as the Royals make incremental progress towards a new era.
NEXT: MJ Melendez Comments On Being Better In 2023
