KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. became the first shortstop in major league history with multiple seasons of at least 30 homers and 30 steals when the All-Star swiped second base in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
Witt finished with three walks in the game, which the Royals lost 3-1 in 10 innings.
“It’s pretty special any time you get to be the first,” Witt said, “but yeah, that’s over now. We’re onto tomorrow.”
The Royals are 2 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the first AL wild-card spot and 1 1/2 ahead of Minnesota for the second.
Witt has 31 homers this season, including a grand slam in the series-opener Monday night, to go with 30 steals. The 24-year-old superstar had 49 steals last season, when he hit the homer he needed to reach 30 with three games left in the season.
The son of longtime big league pitcher Bobby Witt also became the first player with multiple 30-30 seasons in his first three years in the big leagues. In fact, only six other players have had one within their first three seasons.
“He’s the best player in baseball. He’s incredible,” Royals pitcher Cole Ragans said. “A special talent, a special human being. We’re blessed to be able to watch him each and every day, and how hard he works behind the scenes to make that product on the field be what it is, is incredible. He’s just a special, special player. It’s a joy to get to watch every single day.”
The second overall pick in the 2019 first-year player draft, Witt signed an 11-year deal with the Royals in the offseason that ultimately will pay him $288,777,777. The biggest deal in franchise history included a $7,777,777 signing bonus, an ode to his No. 7 jersey that has become so popular with Kansas City fans who have packed Kauffman Stadium during their playoff chase.
The Royals are firmly in an AL wild-card spot with an outside chance of catching Cleveland in the division.
Witt has been one of the biggest reasons for their turnaround from a 106-loss season a year ago. He entered Tuesday leading the majors with 200 hits, a .332 average and 112 runs scored. The only players to finish a season leading in all three categories have been Nap Lajoie in 1901, Ty Cobb in 1911 and ’15, Stan Musial in 1952 and Rod Carew in 1977.
More than anything else, Witt has brought an infectious enthusiasm to a club sorely in need of it.
The Royals won back-to-back AL Pennants in 2014 and ’15 along with their first World Series title in 30 years, but they were unable to sustain the success and quickly returned to mediocrity. Kansas City lost at least 100 games three times in a span of six seasons before turning things around under second-year manager Matt Quatraro this season.
While fans in Kansas City have seen Witt’s stardom blossoming, his coming out party may have come this summer during the Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, not far from where he grew up in Colleyville. Witt reached the finals but lost 14-13 to Teoscar Hernández of the Dodgers in a dramatic showdown that came down to the final swings.
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