The Kansas City Royals have Bobby Witt Jr., universally regarded as one of MLB’s best young players.
They also have a budding ace in Brady Singer and other exciting young players, such as MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto.
Their best hitter, however, might not be one of those or All-Star catcher Salvador Perez: it’s very likely 2022 rookie Vinnie Pasquantino.
His 2022 MLB stats were impressive: he hit .295/.383/.450 with 10 home runs in 298 plate appearances.
However, what’s under the hood is even more impressive.
“Contact Rate leaders among hitters with at least an 8% barrel rate: 1. Vinnie Pasquantino 85%; 2. Mookie Betts 84%; 3. Nolan Arenado 81%; 4. Will Smith 81%; 5. Juan Soto 81%; 6. Freddie Freeman 81%; 7. Josh Naylor 81%; 8. Kyle Tucker 80%; 9. Justin Turner 80%; 10. Daniel Vogelbach 80%,” fantasy baseball analyst Jon Anderson tweeted.
Contact Rate leaders among hitters with at least an 8% barrel rate
1. Vinnie Pasquantino 85%
2. Mookie Betts 84%
3. Nolan Arenado 81%
4. Will Smith 81%
5. Juan Soto 81%
6. Freddie Freeman 81%
7. Josh Naylor 81%
8. Kyle Tucker 80%
9. Justin Turner 80%
10. Daniel Vogelbach 80%— Jon Anderson (@JonPgh) December 29, 2022
For reference, contact rate (CT%) is the percentage of at-bats in which a batter makes contact; meaning he doesn’t strike out.
The average contact rate in MLB is around 75%.
Those who have 90+% contact rates are usually batting title contenders.
An 85% contact rate is very good, even better for a slugger like Pasquantino.
Now, a barrel is the ideal type of batted ball in MLB.
It’s usually at least 98 mph and is hit at an ideal launch angle.
Barrels are typically extra-base hits.
Barrel rate tries to say how often a hitter barrels a baseball.
An 8% barrel rate is good for a slugger.
These two stats in particular tell us that Pasquantino might be ready to break out in 2023.
A .290 season with 25 or 30 home runs is very much within the realm of possibilities.
If we factor in his sweet on-base skills, we have a stud in the making.
NEXT: The Royals Made A Veteran Depth Addition This Week