Back in 2017, Charlottesville finished the VBL season at 32-10, and ripped through the playoffs, losing only one game in three rounds to grab the title. All eyes that summer were on Michael Wielansky, and rightfully so, as he was easily the league’s best hitter and was named MVP.
Vinnie Pasquantino, though, was lurking right there too. While ATVL named him the 13th best hitter in the league, one Charlottesville official remarked, “He might turn out to be the best one on the entire list.” While that may or may not be true (Dominic Canzone (Front Royal) might have a say in the matter), one thing is for certain: Pasquantino is making his mark in pro ball, and isn’t far from the big leagues.
Case in point: last night, Pasquantino went nuts for Triple-A Omaha, going 5-7, with two doubles, two home runs (one a grand slam), and five RBIs. He’s now hitting .296/.396/.638 in 152 at-bats this season, with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, and 24 walks against only 27 strikeouts. For his career, he’s slashing .298/.388/.585, with 115 walks and 131 K’s in 800 at-bats. It makes no sense whatsoever that Pasquantino is still in the minor leagues while Kansas City give Ryan O’Hearn at-bats. The reasons for this can be complex (and impossible to understand sometimes), but I would expect that to be remedied soon.
At any rate, we will continue to watch and wait!