Bobby

Witt Jr.

Witt delivered the big hit today before the Royals went on to blow the game in the ninth. He now has eight homers at the season’s one-third point, putting him on pace for 24. However, it should be noted that all eight of those have come in his last 27 games after he went without one in his first 27.

Witt knocked a base hit in the first inning, stole third, then scored on a groundout. He then led off the third with a hit and crossed home again on a sacrifice fly. Witt has now collected 15 runs scored after only 10 through April. The 25-year-old star is hitting .298/.365/.473 with seven homers, 25 runs scored, 23 RBI, and 16 steals across 230 plate appearances.

After struggling to find his power over the first month of the season, Witt Jr. has flipped the switch of late. His two-run, ninth inning home run that pulled the Royals within one run here was his fourth long ball in his last six games. Zooming out a bit further, all seven of his home runs this season have come since April 26th. He’s also hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games and is suddenly sporting an elite .306 batting average and .884 OPS on the season.

Witt got the game started with a liner down to the right field line in the first that was misplayed off the side wall by Kerry Carpenter, who wound up getting hurt on the play. It was his fifth home run of the season and 19th RBI. It continues a strong May for Witt, who is 12-for-37 (.324) since May 1st with three home runs, four RBI, and two steals.

Witt had no runs scored or RBI aside from the homer. He’s been on the uptick in both categories recently, but he still has just 17 runs scored and 17 RBI overall despite batting .298 in 171 plate appearances. In 2024, he totaled 234 runs+RBI in 161 games. Last year, it was 187 in 157 games. This year, it’s 34 in 38 games.

Witt’s homers have all come in his last eight games after he went his first 27 without one. Tonight’s was a 107.1-mph rocket off Tanner Bibee to put the Royals on the board for the first time in the fourth.

Witt reached base on a groundout in the third inning and swiped second for his tenth steal of the season. With the game tied in the tenth and two runners on, he took Justin Sterner deep for a three-run blast to push the Royals ahead for the win. It was just the second home run of the season for the 25-year-old star shortstop. Witt is still producing despite the lack of power, hitting .289/.362/.439 with eight runs scored, 15 RBI, and ten steals across 130 plate appearances.

Both hits came off Reid Detmers. The homer, hit 108.4 mph to center, came in the rain in the sixth before the game was delayed in the seventh. Witt entered today with 21 singles and nine doubles on the year. Even with this bit of a slow start, he’s batting .294.

No runs scored or RBI for Witt today. Elias Díaz tried to score from first on Witt’s double in the sixth, but he was thrown out pretty easily with the Royals down 7-0 in the game.

Witt was also hit with his first caught stealing in nine tries this year, though it was anything but traditional. Witt was on first in the fourth when Jordan Hicks flinched on the mound for what was an obvious balk, except all of the umpires somehow missed it. Witt and the Royals bench didn’t, but even though no call was coming, Witt just started running anyway and was thrown out at second by the pitcher.