KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that infielder Vinnie Pasquantino and right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek have been named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for September. The awards are determined by a local media vote.
Pasquantino started each of the Royals final 25 games of the season, slashing .290/.330/.520 (29-for-100) with 19 RBI, and 15 of his 29 hits went for extra bases (11 doubles, 4 home runs). His 15 extra-base hits last month were tied for 5th most in the Majors, behind only Shohei Ohtani (19), Jorge Polanco (17), Daylen Lile (16) and Jackson Merrill (16), and they tied for the 7th most by a Royal ever in the month of September. He recorded his 100th RBI of the season in the 3rd inning on Sept. 10 in Cleveland, becoming the 21st different player in Royals history to record a 100-RBI season with the club. Pasquantino hit his team-leading 32nd home run in the 1st inning last Thursday in Anaheim, which also marked his Major League-leading 32nd go-ahead RBI of the season. Thanks to his strong month of September, he finished the year with 33 doubles and 32 home runs, making him one of eight players in Royals history to record at least 30 doubles and 30 home runs in a season, something teammate Salvador Perez also did this season (35 doubles and 30 HR). Pasquantino is only the third Royals left-handed batter to turn the trick, following George Brett in 1985 (38 2B, 30 HR) and John Mayberry in 1975 (38 2B, 34 HR). This marks his fifth career monthly honor and second straight, after recording an American League-leading 29 RBI in August.