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In a few weeks, Kansas City Royals slugger Vinnie Pasquantino injured his hamstring and shortly thereafter made team history.
On Friday, Pasquantino solidified his place in the history books by becoming the first Royal to hit a three-run single since George Brett in 1985, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. The moment came in the 8th inning against the Baltimore Orioles.
Pasquantino hit a bloop single that cleared the bases and drove in three of the Royals' five runs in that inning. The Royals went on to win the game 8-2 to start the season 3-4.
Pasquantinois is affectionately known as “Pasquatch” on the team, apparently for his distinct look and his hitting ability. He is known for his versatile hitting who can hit for average and for power when necessary.
Brett became the first Royals player to hit a three-run single on June 20, 1985, against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Brett was the Royals' franchise player from 1973-1993 and became a Hall of Famer. Aside from surpassing Brett's feat, Pasquantino shares a unique connection with Brett in their approach to hitting.
The one commonality between Pasquantino and Brett
Brett referred to Pasquantino as the “Italian Nightmare” during the Royals' spring training. The biggest common denominator between the two is plate discipline and a low strikeout rate.
Throughout his career, Brett was a consistent hitter who walked more than he struck out. In his MVP year of 1980, Brett hit twenty-four home runs, struck out twenty-two times, and batted .390. From 1976-1989, he walked more than struck out during that fourteen-season stretch.
Pasquantino has a career strikeout rate of 22.9 percent and has seventy-five strikeouts in 554 attempts at bat. In his rookie season with the Royals in 2022, Pasquantino struck out only 34 times in 111 plate appearances.
Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt has noticed the comparison between the two. He has mentioned before that he asked Brett questions about strikeouts and that Pasquantino has the same mindset as Brett.
