Pasquantino is the son of Dennis and Jennifer. Vinnie has one brother, Zach.

In 2016, Vinnie graduated from James River High School, Midlothian, Virginia. He was a career .444 hitter. He hit .537 as a junior with 5 home runs.

Pasquantino attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. There, he was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball News.

June 2019: The Royals chose Vinnie in the 11th round, out of Old Dominion University in Virginia. He signed for $125,000, via scout Jim Farr.

Feb. 2021: A communications major who recently finished his college degree, Pasquantino is co-hosting with broadcaster Alex Feuz a podcast called "A Whole New Ballgame."

He shows a natural talent for broadcasting, with a personable demeanor and a dry sense of humor.

2021 Season: First baseman Vinnie Pasquatino, 23, was tabbed the Quad Cities Player of the Year, after hitting a combined .300/.394/.563 (131-for-437) between Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas. The left-handed hitter is tied for second among all minor league players in doubles (37), ranks fifth in extra-base hits (64) and 10th in total bases (246).

Vinnie opened the year with the River Bandits and hit .291 (69-for-237) with 20 doubles, three triples, 13 homers, 33 walks and 42 RBI, before being promoted to Double-A on July 20. Among Royals minor league players this season, he’s tops in doubles, ranks second in hits, third in walks (64) and tied for fourth in runs scored (79). 

In 2022, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Pasquantino as the 10th-best Royals' prospect.

What makes Pasquantino even more special is his gregarious personality, outstanding makeup and passion for the game. He is affable and outgoing.

June 28, 2022:  As Vinnie strolled to the plate in the second inning at Kauffman Stadium, the crowd began to cheer, loudly, and most of the 19,593 announced fans stood on their feet to welcome him to the Major Leagues. 

From an 11th-round and under-the-radar pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, to becoming a can’t-miss prospect, to debuting in the big leagues at 24 years old, Pasquantino couldn’t quite believe the standing ovation greeting him in his first big league plate appearance.

“I’m really humbled by the city of Kansas City and of the reaction that they gave in my first at-bat,” Pasquantino said. “I haven’t felt anything like that in my entire life. I just want to say thank you to all the people that came out tonight. I saw an Italian flag in the stands, I saw a sign that said, ‘It’s Pasquantino Time,’ or something like that. From a personal side, that’s a pretty cool thing.”

Royals manager Mike Matheny made sure to stop Pasquantino as the game continued and emphasized the uniqueness of that moment. Pasquantino’s response is everything Royals fans need to know about the slugging first baseman/designated hitter who George Brett nicknamed the Italian Nightmare in Spring Training this year.  (A Rogers - MLB.com - June 29, 2022)

Vinnie's father won the National Putt-Putt championship, back in the day. And the younger Pasquantino loves playing Putt-Putt golf.

Vinnie says he is an unusual Italian. He doesn't like tomatoes, onions or most spaghetti sauces, because of the tomatoes. He doesn't like most vegetables at all.

2022 Season: 72 G, .295/.383/.450, 10 HR, 10 2B, 26 RBI, 25 R, 1 SB.

True to his Minor League form, Pasquantino walked more times (35) than he struck out (34) and still managed to show good power from the left side.  (Sam Dykstra - Oct. 16, 2022)

Royals Player Poised to Break out in 2023:  1B/DH Vinnie Pasquantino

Vinnie had an excellent rookie year, posting an .832 OPS, 137 wRC+ and a 1.5 Baseball Reference WAR across 298 plate appearances. He established himself as the Royals’ No. 4 hitter and a core piece of the future.  (Anne Rogers - MLB.com - Dec 26, 2022)

Jan. 9, 2023: MLB.com caught up with the Royals' first baseman before he left to talk about his offseason and, of course, the Jets:

MLB.com: Wait, you’ve probably told this story plenty of times, but how did you become a Jets fan?

Pasquantino: So, Vinny Testaverde was the Jets quarterback when I was young, and I had never met anyone else with the name Vinnie like me. So randomly one day, when I found that out, I was like, ‘Yep, I’m rooting for the Jets.’ And it turned into my entire life.

MLB.com: Hopefully that lifelong fandom can start to pay off a little bit now, because it looks like they have a bright future.

Pasquantino: They do, and also, we [the Royals] share a parking lot with the Chiefs, so I think I’m allowed to be an honorary member of Chiefs Kingdom. And that is not the worst team to be able to cheer for, especially now in the playoffs.

MLB.com: OK, let’s talk baseball. How’s your offseason training going?

Pasquantino: Just kind of sticking with what I know and preparing to get ready for Spring Training. I’m still working out at the same place in Nashville, and nothing has really changed much with the work, because it’s been good each offseason and gotten me ready.

MLB.com: Is there anything in particular you focus on with that work?

Pasquantino: Just trying to create some consistency. Being more consistent as I go in my work, try to dominate in the cage as much as possible. I always tell our hitting guys here, and the Royals’ hitting guys, like, ‘I hate training. Training sucks.’ Because I like to compete, and training isn’t competitive. It’s BP, it’s getting ready. So I've always got to find some way to compete, get my heart going a little bit. If I don’t do that, my adrenaline is so down. I’m always trying to find a new way to make it a competition.

Yesterday, we had this fastball game going. You had to swing at the right pitches, stop at the right pitches, just kind of sharpening your toolset for when you start playing. Technically we do have a leaderboard that they put up on the board so we can compete against each other, but mostly it’s just against yourself. 

MLB.com: Have you talked to new Royals manager Matt Quatraro? What are your impressions?

Pasquantino: I’ve probably talked to him about four or five times, just about the job. I talked to him about once or twice before he got the job, too, because I knew he was being interviewed. Brian Sweeney, our pitching coach, was actually Team Italy’s pitching coach, so he and I met before he interviewed for the job. Both of them are definitely more on the progressive side when it comes to baseball. Both are very smart, forward-thinking guys, and hopefully they’ll put us in a good position to be successful this year.

MLB.com: How much do you and your teammates talk about the changes the Royals are making this offseason, and how much do you think it will affect you guys come spring?

Pasquantino: We’ve talked about it some, and we’re all obviously paying attention to the changes. But I think for the most part, we’re focused on what we need to do individually right now. And as Spring Training starts, we’ll start to worry more about, ‘All right, how are we looking as a team? Is everybody ready to roll?’ I think it’ll be interesting and different, just how things work on a daily basis. We basically have a brand-new staff, except for the hitting department coming back, which is nice. 

MLB.com: You mentioned you might be going to the Chiefs’ first playoff game in Kansas City. Are you going to find a way to bang the drum, since Bobby Witt Jr. did that at a game earlier this offseason?

Pasquantino: We are going to try to go, a group of us. But banging the drum, that’s a superstar thing to do. I’ll let Bobby do it again.  (Anne Rogers)

The Royals love how much of a leader Pasquantino has been in the clubhouses he’s called home in the early days of his career, and they have hopes he could turn into an Anthony Rizzo-type some day. That is a lofty goal indeed, considering how good a prospect Rizzo was and how much quicker he made the Majors. But given his early track record, you won’t find many doubters of Pasquantino in the Kansas City organization. (Spring 2021)

2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

For the first time in his life, Vinnie slept through an alarm.

This was in November, and Pasquantino and his fiancée, Ryann, were in Italy on a trip that Team Italy manager Mike Piazza organized before the World Baseball Classic. It was a trip he called “Mission Classic,” bringing some of the American players with Italian heritage over to the country for a week, where they could meet and train with some of the best Italian-born players. It was a bonding trip before the team gathered in Taiwan to play in the WBC.

Anyway, back to the alarm. On the first day, Pasquantino was supposed to get up at about 8:00 a.m. for a daylong tour that started at the Vatican. He woke up at 9:50 a.m. Pasquantino usually wakes up before his alarm every day -- he can’t remember ever sleeping through one.

“So that’s how the trip started for me,” Pasquantino said. “My first impression. Nice going. They waited for us at the Vatican, which was really awkward. I had to get an Uber over there. I thought I was going to get cut.”

First impressions aside, the trip was a meaningful one for Pasquantino, whose father’s side of the family has Italian roots. This was the first time Vinnie went to Italy. When he returned to the States, he had a two-hour phone call with his grandpa, Dennis, about the country and his experiences. “It was just super cool for me and for him,” Pasquantino said. “Just telling him everything we did. It was super special to have that conversation. To be able to experience it for myself, but also for my family, was special.”

Pasquantino’s first day in Italy got better after he slept through his alarm. The group went on a long tour that started at the Vatican and ended at the Coliseum. The next day, they went to Arrezo, a city in eastern Tuscany, for three days of light workouts, batting practice and getting to know the Team Italy staff. They also helped coach a Future Stars game for the Italian Baseball Federation.

“I was just working on making sure my shoulder was good enough to wave guys home,” Pasquantino said. “That’s all I did. And we won 1-0. We were sending them all day.”

Team Italy also visited Florence during the trip. The squad learned about the country, saw historical sites and consumed a very large amount of pasta during long meals and conversations with teammates.

“We landed at 7 a.m. on the first day, and from there it was pasta and wine the entire time,” Vinnie said.

Pasquantino will wear Italia across his chest for the first time when Italy takes on Cuba. He’ll be playing alongside Royals infielder Nicky Lopez, but also several of the same players he met in Italy back in November.

“I think it makes a big difference just because we know each other now,” Pasquantino said. “I know that Cuba got to Taiwan like a week ago.

They’ve been all working out. For us, we’re getting there a couple days before games start, and that’s not a lot of time to get to know your team. So it was super cool. It’s really special to have those memories that we all have now, like no matter what happens in the tournament -- which we want to win -- this trip was definitely an awesome part of the experience." (A Rogers - MLB.com - March 6, 2023)

April 3, 2023: New Royals home tradition: Every time Vinnie Pasquantino gets on base, a Sasquatch wanders around left field to honor the “Pasquatch.”

March 2024: He spoke with MLB Network's Adnan Virk about how he got the name Pasquatch. 

“I have no idea,” Pasquantino said when asked how the nickname started. “I'm pretty sure, Ryan O'Hearn, I'm pretty sure you were the first one to call me that. And then the Royals ran with it and they've really run with it so I've started to run with it too.”

O'Hearn and Pasquantino played on the 2022 Royals, who won 65 games and finished last in the AL Central. They were both first basemen so they likely spent a lot of time together in that season.

“I get called Pasquatch a lot which is very funny,” he continued. “Whether I'm walking out to the field, it's replaced my real name. So it's kinda just what I get called now and I'm used to turning my head when I hear it.”

To see how far the Royals have taken the Pasquatch nickname, look no further than a social media post from October. Pasquantino was hurt at the end of the regular season. Instead of a traditional injury announcement, they posted a picture of a sasquatch holding a baseball bat. This got fans riled up and was immediately recognized by everyone who was waiting for the news. (Christopher Hennessy - March 11, 2025)

May 7, 2025: Pasquantino made posts on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) announcing his intent to play for Team Italy for the second-straight WBC. The 27-year-old has Italian roots on his father's side of the family. (Jackson Roberts - SI) 

2026 WBC: 

Vinnie Pasquantino remembers his roots. He has someone who makes sure of that.

“My grandfather won’t shut up about asking me about Italy,” Pasquantino said.

Pasquantino’s grandpa, Denny, cares about his grandson’s day job as first baseman for the Kansas City Royals. But he’s way more invested when he suits up for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Grandpa Pasquantino obsesses over the Azzurri. He peppered his grandson with questions about when the tournament would start. (Vinnie told grandad he still had spring training games, to which his elder said, “I don’t care.”)

Gramps also asked where they were playing. “He thinks we’re in Italy,” Pasquantino said, not Houston. “As selfish as this sounds, it’s the one kind of opportunity to play for the name on your back,” Pasquantino. “I don’t mean yourself, I mean play for your family. For your heritage and to just be proud of that.” (Ardaya - Mar 9, 2026 - The Athletic)

TRANSACTIONS

Pasquantino has power that he is developing. His 60 grade power came more from embracing a philosophical change than any mechanical adjustment. His success and continual improvement are the results of how hard he works, as well as his cerebral approach to the game.

Pasquantino was a remarkably consistent hitter at two different levels and racked up more walks than strikeouts after his move up to Northwest Arkansas. Batting from a slightly open stance, Pasquantino stays on time and sees balls well through the zone. He draws positive reviews for the way he utilizes his lower half to create the necessary lift on contact that leads to extra-base hits by the bunches.

He doesn’t quite create the same damage against fellow lefties (three of his 24 homers came off southpaws), but the overall package of contact and pop is refreshingly rare in today’s game. His makeup and clubhouse presence are often the first things mentioned by Royals officials, even above his hitting exploits. (Spring 2022)

“I fine-tune every single pitch,” Vinnie said. “I like to keep my swing consistent in my work and how I prepare for games, so there’s a base in what I’m doing every time . . . That means I’m going to find a way to beat the pitcher.”

Batting from the left side, Pasquantino has turned himself into an interesting mix of both hit and power tools. He rarely strikes for someone with his pop with whiff rates at only around 14 percent at two different levels in 2021. But he also makes use of his good strength and shows what could be 25-plus homer potential in the Majors some day, in part because of an added emphasis on lifting the ball in recent years.

While most of his power has come against righties in 2021, he still picks up hits by the bunches against left-handers as well, making him a difficult matchup. He’ll never ever be a burner, but he can handle himself fine defensively at the cold corner. (Bill Mitchell - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring 2022)

Vinnie has impressive plate discipline and 60 grade power. He is a determined hitter with a high level of focus at the plate, regularly taking professional at-bats, and his strikeout-to-walk rate is unheard of for a power hitter in the modern era. Instead of making a lot of mechanical changes to his swing, Pasquantino instead has focused on seeing the ball well, keeping his eyes behind the ball, seeing pitches deep and taking pitches in the right situations. (Bill Mitchell - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

Vinnie has impressive hand-eye coordination and would rather make contact than hack away at a bad pitch.

Scouts note that the lefthanded hitter consistently takes professional at-bats and is likely to hit his way to a big league role. His makeup is another plus tool.

Aug 15, 2022: After a dominating week, Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was named the AL Player of the Week.

Pasquantino showed pitchers why his nickname is the "Italian Nightmare," as he batted .455 with four home runs and six RBIs across six games for the Royals. Vinnie opened his week in fine fashion by recording a home run in both games of a doubleheader against the White Sox before ending the week with a home run and two RBIs in the Royals' 4-0 win over the Dodgers.

“Statistically, it was a good week for me. More importantly, though, 7-4 homestand against some pretty good teams," Pasquantino said. "Every team we played is in the hunt for the playoffs in some way, shape or form, so that’s exciting. Those are the kind of games that we want to be in, and we want to be in them more. So that’s kind of our mindset. Individual things aside, we all just want to play well and be in bigger games.”

Pasquantino is batting .260 in 41 games with Kansas City after being called up at the end of June. He's the first Royal to be named Player of the Week since Andrew Benintendi earned the honor last September.

“I was doing a crossword and MLB Network was on, and they announced it," Pasquantino said. "I heard my name and I don’t know who was hosting MLB Network at the time, but they had trouble saying my last name. So that’s kind of when I perked up. I kind of heard somebody trying to say the name, which is kind of funny.” (H Palattella - MLB.com - Aug 15, 2022)

2023 Season: Vinnie was on his way to living up to that billing when the shoulder injury that ultimately ended his season struck. Although his average had slipped to .247, he'd homered 9 times and driven in 26 runs through the Royals' first 63 games, marks that extrapolated to around 23 homers and 67 RBIs had he lasted the full 162-game schedule. 

Could having Pasquantino for the entire 2023 season helped Kansas City avoid a club record-tying 106 losses? No one will ever know the definitive answer to that question, but his presence couldn't have hurt, especially because the other Royals who played first base most often didn't have great numbers doing so. As first basemen, Pratto hit .243 with six homers in 67 games, Salvador Perez hit .214 and two homers in 21 games, and Matt Beaty hit .162 without a home run in 13 games. (Mike Gillespie | Oct 23, 2023)

2024 Season: Pasquantino, 26, batted .262 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs in 131 games this season, his third with the Royals. 

2025 Season: Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino are the first Royals teammates to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs.

"I think we both wish we would have done more,” Pasquantino said. “When you look at the numbers on paper, you’re happy about them. But I felt like there was more out there that we could have gotten, and we didn’t this year, which sucks. Numbers-wise, it’s pretty cool." (Anne Rogers - Sept. 2025 - Royals.com)

Vinnie has always looked the part of a Major League first baseman. Now that he’s played through a 160-game season in 2025 and put up .264/.323/.475 slash line with 32 home runs, 113 RBI, and a 120 OPS+.

The next step for Pasquatino is for him to show he can replicate the results in another fully healthy season. He came close to his first 20-home run season in 2024, but missed all of September following a right thumb fracture, ending the year with 19 home runs and 97 RBI.

Vinnie is a near-average 45 grade defender as a first baseman. He works hard on improving his defense and has an impressive work ethic to continue improving. He provides a big target for infielders throwing to first and is athletic enough for the position.

A well-below-average runner, Pasquantino is locked into first base, but those in Kansas City believe he’s more athletic there than he’s gotten credit for in the past. Sticking there or slotting into DH keeps the offensive bar high. The 24-year-old has shown he can clear it to this point. (Spring 2022)

Vinnie runs a 7.0-second 60-yard time. So his speed is below-average -- a 45 grade.

Acknowledging that speed is never going to be part of his game, Pasquantino believes he can still contribute by being a smart baserunner.

“He’s not been blessed with speed,” Royals director of hitting performance Alec Zumwalt said early in the 2021 season, “but he’s blessed with that baseball mind . . . that will allow (his speed) to play up.”

Pasquantino makes up for the lack of speed with good baserunning instincts and reads on the bases. 

Aug. 23-Sept 9, 2022: The Royals placed first baseman Pasquantino on the 10-day Injured List with right shoulder discomfort.

June 14-Nov 2, 2023: The Royals announced that Pasquantino would undergo surgery after he was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. 

Aug. 30-end of 2024 season: Pasquantino was on the IL with a broken right thumb. Pasquantino sustained the injury after a throw from reliever Lucas Erceg hit the outside of his glove.

Aug 31, 2024:  Pasquantino was scheduled for surgery, Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.