Vinnie Pasquantino Named AL Player of the Week

Pasquantino earns the American League's top weekly honor following a hot stretch of play.

The Kansas City Royals started the 2022 season with very few bright spots. However, since the All-Star break, positive moments have been more and more common. One of the brightest so far is Royals rookie first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino earning American League Player of the Week honors. 

Pasquantino is dominating at the plate, batting .455 with four home runs and six RBIs over the course of his last six games for the Royals. He started the week with a home run in both games of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 9. Then, his home run and two RBIs propelled the Royals to a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 14. 

Pasquantino's first 16 games were unspectacular, as he posted a .182 batting average and 87 wRC+. There were some promising moments, but nothing quite prepared fans for Vinnie's current hot performance. Jordan Foote of Inside the Royals touched on Pasquantino's progression and his results matching his progress.

In his last 25 games, Pasquantino's batting average is .305 and his wRC+ is 144. His power production is shining through as well, as he's added five home runs, a .211 ISO and a .516 SLG during that span as well.

Overall, Pasquantino has a .260/.341/.440 line since his MLB promotion on June 28. This accolade is even more notable, as he is the first Royal to be named Player of the Week since Andrew Benintendi last September. Things are certainly trending the right direction for the hard-hitting first baseman, and Foote believes this is more than just a hot streak.

It remains to be seen whether his fortunes will turn back around or how legit this new level of productivity is but if the numbers do fade in the future, they shouldn't be gone for long. It's finally happening. Vinnie Pasquantino is here to stay, and the stats are beginning to show it. The results are starting to match the process.