| Nick Pratto | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Pratto with theOmaha Storm Chasers in 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||
| First baseman | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1998-10-06)October 6, 1998 (age 26) Huntington Beach, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| July 14, 2022, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .216 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 14 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 55 | ||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nicholas Michael Pratto (born October 6, 1998) is an American professionalbaseballfirst baseman in theKansas City Royals organization. He made hisMajor League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2022.
Pratto grew up inHuntington Beach, California, and played for theirLittle League Baseball team in the2011 Little League World Series. Huntington Beach made it to the championship game against Japan, and Pratto hit awalk-offsingle to win the championship.[1][2] In 2015, he played forTeam USA in theU-18 Baseball World Cup.[3]
Pratto attendedMater Dei High School inSanta Ana, California, for his first two years of high school before transferring toHuntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach.[4] At Huntington Beach, he was teammates withHagen Danner.[5][6] As a senior in 2017, he hit .330 with nine home runs and 22 RBIs.[7] He committed to theUniversity of Southern California (USC) to playcollege baseball.[8]
Pratto was considered one of the top prospects for the2017 Major League Baseball draft.[9] He was selected by theKansas City Royals with the 14th overall pick in the draft.[10][11] He signed with the Royals, bypassing his commitment to USC, for a $3.45 millionsigning bonus.[12] He made his professional debut with theArizona League Royals of theRookie-levelArizona League, posting a .247 batting average with four home runs, 34 RBI and ten stolen bases over 52 games.[13] He spent 2018 with theLexington Legends of theSingle–ASouth Atlantic League, slashing .280/.343/.443 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI, and 22 stolen bases over 127 games.[14]
Pratto spent the 2019 season with theWilmington Blue Rocks of theHigh–ACarolina League.[15] Over 124 games, he slashed .191/.278/.310 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs.[16] Pratto did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of theMinor League Baseball season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[17]
Pratto began the 2021 season with theNorthwest Arkansas Naturals ofDouble-A Central.[18] In June, Pratto was selected to play in theAll-Star Futures Game.[19] He was promoted to theOmaha Storm Chasers ofTriple-A West in mid-July.[20] Over 124 games between the two teams, Pratto slashed .265/.385/.602 with 36 home runs, 98 RBIs, 28 doubles, and 12 stolen bases.[21] His 36 home runs were second in the minor leagues behind teammateMJ Melendez.[22] Following the season, he was awarded the Minor League Gold Glove Award as the best-fielding first baseman at any level of Minor League Baseball.[23]
The Royals selected Pratto to their40-man roster following the season on November 19, 2021, to protect him from becoming eligible in theRule 5 draft.[24] He began the 2022 season with Omaha and was promoted to the major leagues to make his major league debut on July 14.[25] He recorded his first MLB hit on July 15 versusAlek Manoah of theToronto Blue Jays atRogers Centre with a single in the fifth inning.[26] On July 17, Pratto hit his first career home run, a solo shot off of Toronto starterJosé Berríos.[27] On August 6, Pratto hit a walk-off home run off ofBoston Red Sox relieverGarrett Whitlock.[28]
Pratto was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2023 season.[29] In 95 games for Kansas City, he batted .232/.307/.353 with seven home runs and 35 RBI.
Pratto was again optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2024 season, despite a strong spring training that saw him hit .421 with four home runs.[30] On June 11, 2024, Pratto made his only appearance for the Royals, pitching in relief against theNew York Yankees. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking outJahmai Jones.[31] He was optioned back to Omaha on June 14.[13] Pratto made 94 appearances for Kansas City in 2024, slashing .232/.307/.353 with seven home runs and 35 RBI.
On March 23, 2025, Pratto was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Omaha.[32]
