close
close

Latest Post

Sun's DiJonai Carrington has to be restrained after a hard foul David Andrews' injury update doesn't bode well for the Patriots – NBC Sports Boston

play

BALTIMORE — On the other hand, Saturday marks the highly anticipated playoff debut of Shohei Ohtani, as the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar finally makes his October baseball tryout after seven often spectacular seasons.

Here, at Camden Yards, 24-year-old Bobby Witt Jr. realizes his good fortune.

The Kansas City Royals shortstop won his first batting title this year, will finish in the top three or four in American League MVP voting and will also lead his team into the best-of-three wild-card series against Baltimore lead orioles.

He calls it an “incredible opportunity” and knows he'll appreciate it because “you never know when you'll get this opportunity again” and heck, a shot at the World Series tournament in just the third season get is a pretty happy coincidence of events.

But Witt's talent is so transcendent, his abilities so diverse, his ceiling so unmatched, that we may be approaching it the wrong way.

Maybe we'll be lucky enough to witness his arrival.

“Players like that are way more talented than anyone else,” says Royals outfielder Robbie Grossman, a 12-year major league veteran, “but he just plays the game at a different pace than everyone else.” It reminds me a lot the time when (Mike) Trout came along and the impact he had on the games. But he plays shortstop and is involved in a lot more games.

“It is a special talent, a special person. One of those guys that at the end of his career you look back and think, 'Wow, I get to play with this guy.'”

The measurement results are impressive enough. Witt batted .332, leading the major hitting leagues, at a time when the league average of .243 was the worst in nearly 60 years. He's already a 30-30 man, his 32 home runs and 31 steals placing him in the long-touted power-speed combo club.

However, don't think this is all due to liberalized stolen base rules: Witt's sprint speed of 30.5 feet per second, as measured by Statcast, is the fastest in baseball, nearly half a second faster than No. 2 and his 150″ Bolts” – or barrels at at least 30 feet per second – are almost 50 more than the next type.

His outstanding offensive contributions — he scored a team-best 109 runs, fourth in the AL — take on greater importance with these pitching-focused Royals. With first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino out with a hand injury – he's close to returning, perhaps in this series – the Royals' lineup revolves almost entirely around Witt and veteran catcher Salvador Perez.

Nevertheless, it was enough. The Royals won 85 games to easily make the playoffs, and Witt says, for all his success, the win total probably gives him the most satisfaction in transitioning from production to success.

Tangible and immeasurable things are equally valuable to the royals.

“Everything about that kid, man: I always say he’s the best player I’ve ever played with,” said Perez, the nine-time All-Star in his 13th yearTh Major League season. “People see it every day on the field, but I see this kid in the clubhouse preparing.

“It's amazing. The way he runs, the way he hits, he plays hard. Even when he hits it back to the pitcher, he runs hard.”

“Just scratching the surface”

He seems to make it look and sound easy. The younger Witt is the son of longtime major league pitcher Bobby Witt and has been at the track for more than a decade. He was selected No. 2 overall by the Royals in the 2019 draft and is getting an up-close look at the fickle hand of fate this week.

Witt, then a Dallas-area prep star, and Oregon State University catcher Adleyrutschman were the consensus 1-2 pick in that draft. The Orioles did everything right: They selectedrutschman No. 1 — he's now a two-time All-Star — and backed it up by taking All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson in the second round.

“It was really special to see what he did and what he did for Baltimore,” Witt said ofrutschman. “It's pretty crazy just seeing this one-two, and now we're meeting in the postseason.

“It’s special and an honor.”

However, Witt and Henderson are more connected at the hip. They were teammates on many occasions in the youth baseball scene and were part of what could one day be considered an epic shortstop draft class that also includes Anthony Volpe, Bryson Stott and CJ Abrams.

At their first All-Star Game, they spent a lot of time together and both took part in the Home Run Derby.

“He seems to progress and get better every year he plays,” said Henderson, who had his own fantastic year in which he batted .281 with an OPS of .893, hit 37 home runs and 21 bases steel. “He’s really fun to watch and follow.”

Like Ohtani, Witt seems to have a preternatural control over his work. He stole 49 bases in 2023 but batted just .276. That year, he raised his average to the top of the major leagues, even as his steals total declined.

His strikeouts dropped in all three seasons, from 135 to 121 and then to 106. The trend is a little scary.

“I want to continue to do this and I believe I will continue to do this,” Witt said. “Just by having more experience you get better, just by being in the game you get better, and just by knowing yourself you get better.

“Once you get a good routine, you just have to be able to control what you can control. Just go out and play the game I love and that removes a lot of worries and doubts.”

At 6-1, 200 pounds and nine months shy of his 25th birthdayTh Witt's birthday is far from a finished product. He's just beginning a seven-year, $148.7 million contract that will take him to Kansas City through 2030 and possibly 2037 thanks to various club and player options.

The Royals will certainly go through several ups and downs during this time. Maybe Witt is a guest in your living room every October. Perhaps a Troutian drought is looming between playoff spots.

But something completely different is unfolding.

“What a season. What a few seasons,” says Grossman. “And he’s only going to get better. He hasn't fully grown into it yet. He is 23, 24 years old. If the league isn't known yet, wait until he's 27, 28 years old.

“He’s just scratching the surface of what he can do, which is crazy to say.”

Get to the heart of the news quickly with the USA TODAY app. Download for award-winning reporting, crosswords, audio storytelling, the e-newspaper and more.

On By John Fenwick

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post