As far as the human race has come since discovering things like fire and sliced bread, we have regressed in some aspects of our world, and the P-word is something that has certainly suffered in 2025.
As someone who has some decent kind of online following over on X, I see a ton of impatience in the questions I get from followers regarding cuts and trades.
Last month, I remember people talking about Ivan Herrera and Drake Baldwin being locked in as better fantasy plays than Adley Rutschman, which, while certainly possible, doesn't seem to be aging particularly well.
Vinnie Pasquantino is the perfect example of all this, and I'll be diving into him first and foremost.
As of April 29th, he was rocking a .174 BA to go along with a .242 OBP...safe to say, people weren't feeling too fuzzy about the baseball future of the gregarious Italian.
Flash forward to today, and the last time Vinnie P didn't get on base was on May 11th, and fantasy GMs feel locked and loaded sending him out there as a reliable star-caliber 1B option.
The point here is that you have to go out and get the guys you really believe in, and be willing to hold them during cold stretches if you want to reap the rewards later on.
Another guy that likely fits this bill is Jasson Dominguez, so I'll take a look under the hood to see if his outlook is still as shiny as it felt at the season's outset.
Last but not least, I'll let you know about what you should expect from Kyle Teel this season and beyond!
The Pasquatch, in its natural habitat.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, KC
I already got the ball rolling on Vinnie P's roller coaster season back in our intro, but let's take it all the way back to January to see what the industry was feeling about him:
Pasquantino is poised for a breakout. His elite contact skills and 12.8% K-rate suggest significant upside, and if he played in a more hitter-friendly park like those in Anaheim or New York, he could be pushing for 30 home runs rather than 19. His floor remains high thanks to his strong approach at the plate, but I believe there’s another gear here waiting to be unlocked. Even without a breakout, he offers solid, reliable production.
This was from Tom Gates' Dynasty First Base Preview, where he had Pasquatch ranked as his #10 dynasty first baseman. While it looks like a pretty great take now - a month ago, he wouldn't have been crazy for feeling like this projection was off the mark.
If anything, the Royals' young and developing offensive core has enough untapped potential that it wouldn't shock me for Mr. Pasquantino to evolve in to a Top-5 fantasy 1B option moving forward.
It's interesting to me to think about how his trajectory has shifted since KC brought him up back in 2022.
Vinnie didn't have a ton of pedigree, was becoming a little "old" for a prospect, and people figured he'd get on base a ton - but with middling power.
Since then, he's shifted from a solid approach that delivered a 11% walk rate his rookie year, to more of an aggressive style...one that may have hurt hurt him for stretches.
But it seems like things are coming around:
As you can see, the aggression is still there (evidenced by a fairly static K rate), but he isn't swinging at everything anymore, as you can see with a major spike in walks.
This is the Vinnie Pasquantino we've all been waiting for.
In fact, when he first came onto the scene, I pitched a nickname for him: "Spaghetti Freeman"...you know, like Freddie Freeman, but more Italian?
I guess I should have known it wouldn't stick if I have to explain the joke.
Anyway, if these BB rates keep up and pair with his elite contact skills and solid EVs, we could very well be looking at a guy who eventually has a .280/.350 ratio season, mixing in 30 HRs to go along with very high counting stats with rising stars like Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia on base in front of him.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
