This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

KANSAS CITY -- In the top of the eighth inning Tuesday night, closer James McArthur was at the beginning of what would be a six-out save, and the Royals’ defense helped him out quite a bit.

Leading off, Blue Jays utility man Davis Schneider hit a hard grounder that shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. fielded cleanly deep in the hole at shortstop, then fired a dart to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who stretched into the splits for the out.

It was a defensive beauty. And the subject of some light-hearted ribbing afterward.

“You see Vinnie stretching over there, I don’t know if he does it with regular pants on,” Witt said, referencing the infield’s coordination to hitch their pants up and go with high socks this week.

“I didn’t know he had it in him,” second baseman Michael Massey said.

Massey was only kidding; the two have played together since they were drafted by the Royals in 2019, so Massey knows as well as anybody what Pasquantino can bring to a team defensively.

Now, it’s just on display for everyone.

Through 25 games entering Thursday, Pasquantino has played excellent defense, leading American League first basemen with four Outs Above Average and three runs prevented. The former is tied for second among all first basemen in the Major Leagues, and latter is tied for first. Using FanGraphs’ metrics, Pasquantino leads AL first basemen with five Defensive Runs Saved -- four more than No. 2 on that list (Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle) -- and ranks second among MLB first basemen.

“I don’t know if there’s anything different, maybe just a little bit more comfortable,” Pasquantino said. “I’m working on some more things in more detail than I had before, instead of worrying about just the offensive part of my game, which has been fun.”

Pasquantino has built a reputation around his offensive game, and his propensity for power and keen eye for the strike zone have made him another hitter the Royals want to build around.

But he doesn’t want to be seen as “just” a hitter, and there’s a little bit of edge in his voice when he mentions those who have said or projected a full-time designated hitter role. He wants to be a well-rounded player on both sides of the ball.

“I look at it like being an offensive lineman: You don’t really want to be noticed. You just want to be there,” Pasquantino said of playing first base. “The people that should notice are your infielders, not necessarily everybody else. But the first baseman is involved in a lot more than what meets the eye. There’s something we’re doing every single play. I’ve had third basemen in the past who’ve come over to first and say, ‘I didn’t realize that there was this much going on.’

“The game doesn’t really value first basemen, just objectively, at all. They think you can just go throw somebody over there and that will work. I would straight up disagree with that. … I think it’s really important to have a first baseman who is steady, and that’s what I’m trying to be.”

That mindset fueled Pasquantino’s defensive work in the offseason, the spring and into the season. He stayed in contact with Royals infield coach José Alguacil over the winter, sending texts and videos of drills back and forth, and on the first day of Spring Training, Paquantino was ready to get to work.

Most improved is Pasquantino’s footwork, Alguacil says, as well as the accuracy of his throws and using his lower half better. His scoops and stretches have all been noticeable, and he’s made some impressive catches in foul territory.

“You can do everything you can to make the play, but the goal is to get the out,” Massey said. “Having a guy over there who’s as good as Vinnie at picking balls and picking guys up, it’s huge.

“But I will say, I’ve seen it for a long time. He’s really good. Even all the way through the Minor Leagues. It’s nothing new to us.”

Not only is Pasquantino an anchor in the Royals’ lineup, he’s emerging as one on the field, too.

And even with all the talent on Kansas City’s infield -- from Massey to Witt to third baseman Maikel Garcia -- Pasquantino can make them better.

“Your infield is going to be as good as your first baseman,” Alguacil said. “He can build the confidence of the guys to throw the ball anywhere. Those guys are going to be even better because of him. They’re going to throw the ball without fear. They’re going to increase their accuracy. When you have a first baseman who can catch those balls, you’re going to be able to do more stuff. Be more aggressive, go for more balls. And I think that’s the case with Vinnie, building the confidence with the rest of the guys on the infield.

“He’s improved a lot. And there’s more in the tank.”