Vinnie Pasquantino has faced Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking blazing fastballs twice in his career, now stepping up as captain for Italy in the Classic.

Vinnie Pasquantino, the Kansas City Royals first baseman in MLB, is appointed captain of Italy’s national team for this World Baseball Classic. Compared to the previous tournament, Pasquantino’s hitting duties might be somewhat easier this time since he no longer has to face his “nemesis” — Shohei Ohtani’s blazing fastballs exceeding 100 mph (about 161 km/h).

In the 2023 Classic, Italy advanced to the quarterfinals but ultimately lost 3-9 to eventual champion Japan. In that game, Shohei Ohtani started as pitcher and struck out Pasquantino in the second inning with a fastball clocked at 102 mph (approximately 164.2 km/h), setting a new career-high velocity for Ohtani.

During last year’s regular season, with Ohtani returning to his “two-way” role, he once again faced Pasquantino as a starting pitcher. In the first inning, with two outs and runners on first and third threatening to score, Ohtani threw three consecutive four-seam fastballs to Pasquantino, each faster than the last, registering speeds of 99.2 mph, 100.2 mph, and 101.7 mph (about 163.6 km/h). Pasquantino then hit into a double play, helping Ohtani escape the jam.

The 101.7 mph fastball Ohtani threw against Pasquantino last year surpassed his previous record of 101.4 mph (around 163.2 km/h), set on September 10, 2022, against Houston Astros hitter Kyle Tucker.

Recently, when the Classic’s official account introduced Pasquantino’s role leading the national team again, they quoted him saying: “Stats don’t matter, the only thing that counts is winning. If you go 0-for-4 but your team wins, you’ll be the happiest person in the world; if you go 4-for-4 but lose, you’ll just want to cry.”

Pasquantino mentioned he didn’t expect to become Italy’s captain. The coaching staff also includes former New York Yankees star catcher Jorge Posada. Italy is placed in Group B alongside defending champion USA, with Mexico—another strong contender—being the main rival for the top two spots to advance. The other teams in the group are Brazil and Great Britain.