One of the great things about baseball is that even if you struggle at the plate to start a season, a big performance is just a game away. That was the case for Nick Pratto, the Royals' No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, who launched three homers in Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 15-5 victory over Springfield on Friday night.

Overall, Pratto went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs, belting a solo homer in the first inning, a three-run shot in the fourth and another solo shot in the ninth. The first baseman's third homer came as part of a back-to-back pair along with a two-run blast by Bobby Witt Jr., the No. 7 prospect overall.

The three homers more than doubled Pratto's output in that department, as he entered Friday's contest with two on the season. His 3-for-4 night upped his 2021 batting average by 45 points, to .245. Witt's homer was his second of the year, and the shortstop went 2-for-5 overall to bump his average up from .189 to .207 on the young season.