Kansas City Royals star Vinnie Pasquantino struggled through his first three games with Team Italy at the World Baseball Classic. He figured things out on Wednesday night, however. 

Pasquantino led Team Italy to a huge 9-1 victory over Team Mexico to officially clinch a spot in the 2026 WBC quarterfinals. The first baseman crushed three home runs in the game, becoming the first player in World Baseball Classic history to accomplish the feat.

Italy upset Team USA on Tuesday night, earning an 8-6 win. Yet, Pasquantino failed to record a hit in the game for a third consecutive contest. He now has three hits and three home runs following his incredible effort on Wednesday against Team Mexico. 

The victory also gave Italy a surprising 4-0 first round. Meanwhile, the USA finished at 3-1 overall. Both teams will advance to the quarterfinals, but there were not many people who expected Italy to have a better record than the USA heading into the next round.

The Italian ball club has utilized a complete team effort. It seems as if every game there is a new hero stepping up. Guys such as Michael Lorenzen and Jac Caglianone have made huge impacts in the tournament. 

So, will Team Italy reach the WBC championship? It could happen, but there is no shortage of great teams ready to compete. Team USA is among those ball clubs, and one has to imagine they will rebound. They feature the best overall roster in the tournament. 

Nevertheless, Italy has momentum right now. 

Pasquantino features some of the best power hitting prowess in the game. There was never any real concern over his underperformance to begin the WBC. Many players struggle early in the spring, but Pasquantino's slump was magnified given the World Baseball Classic. 

His three-home run game is also magnified, though. He came through when Team Italy needed him most. Team Mexico is a good team, and Wednesday night's game was expected to be competitive. Pasquantino's three homers helped to make sure that did not happen.

As mentioned, Team Italy is riding a winning streak into the next round. Perhaps Pasquantino will be able to carry his momentum into the quarterfinals as well. Sure, hitting three home runs in a game once again will obviously prove to be an immense challenge. As long as Pasquantino is consistent, though, he will benefit his team in a crucial manner.