Nick Pratto #32

Pratto resides in Huntington Beach, Calif. .. He bypassed a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Southern California when he signed with the Royals, who drafted him 14th overall in 2017...Pratto graduated from Huntington Beach HS (Calif.) in 2017, where he hit .318 with seven HR as a senior as was rated the “Best High School Hitter” in the Draft, according to Baseball America...He played for Team USA’s 18U National Team in 2015-16 and led the squad to back-to-back World Championships... Pratto recorded a walk-off RBI single with the bases loaded to defeat Japan in the 2011 Little League World Series championship.

2023

Pratto appeared in a career-high 95 games in 2023...he opened the year with Triple-A Omaha and was recalled on April 5, but was optioned two days later...was recalled for his second stint on April 28, and three months later, he landed on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain, missing 27 games before being returned from rehab and reinstated on Sept. 7...Finished the year with a 40.7 Sweet Spot pct. (Baseball Savant defines “Sweet Spot” as a batted-ball event with a launch angle between 8-32°), which ranked tied for 6th in the AL, behind Brandon Belt (44.0), Donovan Solano (43.1), Yoán Moncada (42.5), Josh Jung (41.9) and Anthony Rizzo (41.2)... From the start of April through the end of May, Pratto’s .398 on-base percentage in 31 games was the sixth highest mark in the American League (min. 100 PA), behind only Anthony Rendon (.421), Yandy Díaz (.411), Randy Arozarena (.409), Aaron Judge (.408) and Zach McKinstry (.403)... Hit leadoff home runs on June 3 vs. Colorado and June 23 at Tampa Bay...he was the only Royal in 2023 to hit multiple leadoff homers... His leadoff homer on June 3 came off left hander Austin Gomber, marking the 14th lefty-on-lefty leadoff home run in club history and the first since Alex Gordon did it vs. Cleveland’s Scott Kazmir on Sept. 11, 2013…he became the fifth left-handed batter in Royals history to hit a leadoff HR vs. a left-handed pitcher.

2022

Pratto made his Major League debut with the Royals as a replacement player during the series in Toronto from July 14-17, 2022 and was recalled again on July 22…he remained with the team through Sept. 17, before finishing the season at Triple-A Omaha... Prior to his recall on July 14, his 17 HR at Triple-A Omaha ranked second in the organization and his 55 runs were tied for the 3rd most in the International League.... He recorded his 1st career home run in his 4th game on July 17 in Toronto, off José Berríos... Pratto recorded multiple RBI in four straight games from Aug. 26-30 (10 RBI total), which fell one game shy of the franchise record set by Bo Jackson in 1990. .. On Aug. 6 vs. Boston, he recorded his first career walk-off HR, a 424-ft. shot with two outs in the ninth that broke a 4-4 tie…he became just the third Royal (4th time) to hit a walk-off HR in his first big league season... On Aug. 30 in Chicago vs. the White Sox, Pratto recorded a career-best four hits and two home runs, becoming the second Royal to record a four-hit, two-HR effort within his first 40 career games, following Bo Jackson, who did it on April 14, 1987 vs. Detroit.

2021

In 124 total games between Double-A and Triple-A, hit .265/.385/.602 with 98 runs scored, 28 doubles, 36 home runs, 98 RBI, and 83 walks...Ranked second in Minor League Baseball in extra-base hits (71), tied for second in home runs (36), ranked third in RBI (98), tied for third in runs scored (98) fifth in walks (83), and seventh in slugging percentage (.602)...Hit .271/.404/.570 in 61 games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, leading the league in walks (46), ranking third in slugging percentage, and fourth in on-base percentage at the time of his promotion to Triple-A Omaha on July 18...From his Triple-A debut July 20 through the end of the season on Oct. 3, led Triple-A East in home runs (21) and RBI (55), ranked second in slugging percentage (.634), extra-base hits (39) and runs scored (54), third in walks (37), and fourth in OPS (1.001)...Recorded 813 putouts and 64 assists in 879 total chances at first base in 113 total games, committing two errors in 955.2 innings for a .998 fielding percentage, the best fielding percentage among players to earn a Minor League Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2021...Started at first base for the American League in the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 10 at Coors Field in Denver, Colo., going 0-for-1 with a walk...Was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star and Double-A Central postseason All-Star at first base, following the season...Entered the season as the No. 13 prospect in the Royals organization according to Baseball America and was listed as the “Best Defensive Infielder” among Royals minor leaguers.

2020

Spent the year at the Royals’ alternate training site in Kansas City, Kansas... Also participated in the club’s postseason camp at Kauffman Stadium.

2019

Spent the entire season with Wilmington (A+), helping the Blue Rocks win the Carolina League championship...Hit a career-low .191 for the season, with 21 doubles, a triple, nine homers…ranked ninth in the league in games played (124), including the most at first base (123).

2018

Entered the year as the No. 1 prospect in the Royals organization, according to Baseball America...Named a South Atlantic League midseason All-Star and was “Top Star” of the All-Star Game, going 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBI for the South Division...Among South Atlantic League hitters, ranked second in runs scored (79), tied for second in doubles (33), third in hits (136), third in total bases (215), fourth in games (127) and fifth in extra-base hits (49)...Earned the Frank White Defensive Player of the Year Award, which recognizes the organization’s top defensive player...Recorded a career-high four hits (4-for-5) on Aug. 27 vs. Augusta…doubled and drove in three runs in Lexington’s 18-3 triumph.

2017

Named Surprise (Rookie) Player of the Year, leading the club in RBI (34), tying for the team lead in homers (4) and ranking second in hits (49).