The Kansas City Royals may have had a winning season, but no one in the organization believes it was a success.
A year after making their first playoff appearance since 2015, the Royals went backwards. An 82-80 record was bolstered by a 16-2 stretch early on, but for the most part, it was an inconsistent Kansas City team that could never quite hit enough to stay in the playoff hunt.
First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was certainly a bright spot for these Royals, as he put together his most complete season and led the club with 32 home runs and 113 RBIs. But the slugger, who has become one of the vocal leaders for Kansas City, knows the whole group could have done more.
On Tuesday, Pasquantino shared his thoughts on the 2025 campaign on X (formerly Twitter) to his 47,000 followers.
Came up short of our goal, but thankful for the teammates, coaches, and staff for getting us through 2025. Especially grateful for the fans supporting us everyday throughout this season. We will keep working and be ready for 2026. pic.twitter.com/BssQBvc0Yu
— Vinnie Pasquantino (@VPasquantino) September 30, 2025
“Came up short of our goal, but thankful for the teammates, coaches, and staff for getting us through 2025. Especially grateful for the fans supporting us everyday throughout this season. We will keep working and be ready for 2026,” Pasquantino wrote.
Pasquantino’s sentiment has been echoed by just about every important person associated with the Royals: shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., manager Matt Quatraro, and general manager J.J. Picollo, just to name a few.
While no one believes the season was an outright failure, it was certainly a disappointment. Teams like the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays passed up the Royals in the American League standings this year, and the Royals have roster improvements to make if they want back in on the playoff action.
Pasquantino clearly believes he can take his game to another level as well, which is good news for Royals fans, because he took a major step forward this year. With three years left before he hits free agency, the 27-year-old should be well-positioned to keep growing in the organization.
What can Pasquantino do for an encore in 2026? His continued improvement could be a key to the team’s chances of returning to October.
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