Only one player in the Minor Leagues compiled more extra-base hits last season than Nick Pratto, and that was Bobby Witt Jr. If Pratto keeps this up, it shouldn’t be long until he joins his former teammate in Kansas City.
The power-hitting Pratto picked up right where he left off at Triple-A Omaha, homering in both halves of Thursday’s doubleheader split with Indianapolis at Victory Field. Both the Royals’ No. 3 prospect’s (No. 62 overall) first two hits of the season went for homers, Pratto launching a three-run dinger in Game 1 and adding a solo shot in the Storm Chasers’ 6-2 Game 2 win. Pratto finished 3-for-8 with 6 RBIs in the twin bill.
“It’s always good to get some padding right off the bat,” Pratto said. “These guys are pitching us tough right out of the gate. In our lineup, you can’t really skate by at any point. We have big bats at all spots in the lineup.”
That power is quickly becoming a calling card for Pratto, who ranked second in the Minors with 71 extra-base hits between Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2021, to go along with .265/.385/.602 line. Making up the bulk of that total were 36 homers, 21 of which came in 64 games at Omaha. This after Pratto struggled mightily in 2019 as a 20-year-old at Single-A Wilmington, then was limited to the alternate training site in 2020 due to the pandemic, before breaking out offensively. He’s also considered a top defender, with smooth hands, plus range and elite athleticism at first base.
“I know more about myself now,” Pratto said. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities to execute what I’ve been working on these last few years, and it’s exciting to see results from it. I want to just continue to build off all that stuff.”
Pratto’s all-fields power was on display Thursday. His three-run tater off Matt Eckelman cleared the left-center field wall, and his solo shot off Beau Sulser went out to right. Pratto became only the second player in Storm Chasers history (since 2011) to homer in both ends of a doubleheader. The other? Anderson Miller, last July 17, also at Victory Field.
“I knew the first guy had some stuff that ran away from me and he left me one that caught a good amount of plate, and I was able to put a good swing on it,” Pratto said. “The second one was a fastball. I got ahead in the count. He seemed like he was attacking the zone pretty well so I put my bets on him trying to steal a strike at some point, and I ended up running into it.”
The Royals’ 2017 first-round pick, Pratto is one of two highly-touted, left-handed hitting first baseman at Omaha. The Storm Chasers also have No. 5 prospect Vinnie Pasquantino, with No. 2 prospect catcher MJ Melendez hitting between them. That trio combined to hit 101 homers in ’21. Witt Jr. added another 33.
“We’re able to dish each other information, what we see, what we think,” Pratto said. “It’s kind of a little taste of what we could be doing moving forward. So far, it’s been a treat to go out there and get after it with them.”
Along with Witt, whose game-winning double in his MLB debut was one of the biggest stories of big league Opening Day, they comprise what should be a talented position player nucleus in Kansas City for years to come. And all could be in the Majors together by season’s end. Pratto said the Storm Chasers were keeping tabs on Witt’s debut during their pregame work Thursday, catching his first few at bats in the hours before their first game began.
Though they were playing in Indianapolis by the time Witt's decisive double sent the Kaufman Stadium crowd into a stupor, Pratto and company did witness the impressive backhand defensive play he made to rob Andrés Giménez a few innings prior. Pratto also took notice of the warm welcome Witt Jr. received from Royals fans at the K -- where he too hopes to soon call home.
“He’s comfortable out there, he belongs,” Pratto said. “It was so good to see how welcoming the fans were to him. To see him last year go through that type of growth, and to see him shine on the big stage right now, it’s pretty cool to watch.”