Royals 1B Ranks In Top 10 In MLB After Strong 2024 Season

First base is in good hands with the Royals.

Oct 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals first base Vinnie Pasquantino (9) hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals have a bright future after they won 86 games in 2024 and secured the second American League Wild Card spot.

In the offseason, they signed Michael Wacha, Michael Lorenzen and Carlos Estevez and traded for Jonathan India. They'll look to stay in contention in 2025 and return to the postseason for the second straight year.

While most of the focus is on Bobby Witt Jr., who finished second in the AL MVP race, the Royals have some other promising young players at different positions.

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is a player to watch and was ranked eighth among all 30 Major League first basemen by Bleacher Report.

"Pasquantino ranked among baseball's RBI leaders when he suffered a broken thumb on Aug. 29 that brought his season to an abrupt end. The 27-year-old still posted a 111 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 19 home runs and 97 RBI in 131 games, and he will once again be counted on to serve as a key run producer behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez in the Kansas City lineup," Joel Reuter wrote.

Injuries cut Pasquantino's season short in 2024, and though he returned for the postseason, the Royals didn't go deep.

If he can stay healthy and produce similar numbers to 2024 before he landed on the injured list, the Royals should be in good shape and he'll be a major key to them potentially making some improvements on the offensive side.

We'll see what 2025 has in store for the slugger.

More MLB: Royals 23-Year-Old Prospect 'Standing Out' During Spring Training: Insider