Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. becomes first MLB player to reach 3.0 WAR, delivers game-tying hit in defeat

3 min read
Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. becomes first MLB player to reach 3.0 WAR, delivers game-tying hit in defeat

Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. becomes first MLB player to reach 3.0 WAR, delivers game-tying hit in defeat

Kansas City's star shortstop has done it all, but can't do everything for the franchise.

Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. becomes first MLB player to reach 3.0 WAR, delivers game-tying hit in defeat

Kansas City's star shortstop has done it all, but can't do everything for the franchise.

Bobby Witt Jr. is doing things in Major League Baseball that no one else can right now—and he's doing it all in a Royals uniform that's starting to feel like a one-man show.

The Kansas City shortstop became the first player in the majors to reach a 3.0 WAR rating this season, and he backed it up with a clutch, game-tying double in the 10th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. But even his heroics couldn't push the Royals over the finish line.

With the game knotted up in extras, Witt turned on a first-pitch fastball from reliever Ryan Stanek, lacing a double to left-center field that scored Maikel and gave Kansas City a short-lived lead. It was the kind of moment that defines a superstar—calm under pressure, explosive when it counts.

At just 25 years old, Witt is playing like an AL MVP candidate, even as the Royals struggle to find consistency around him. Through his first 173 at-bats, he's slashing .306/.381/.503 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs, leading the team in all three categories. His batting run value sits in the 90th percentile, and Statcast has him ranked among the elite five-tool talents in the game.

Earlier this season, Witt turned heads with an inside-the-park home run that he circled the bases in just 14.13 seconds—a reminder that his speed is just as dangerous as his power. He's the kind of player who can change a game in a single swing or a single sprint.

But even Witt can't fix everything. The Royals entered Friday ranked 22nd in team ERA (4.43), and with an injury-riddled starting rotation and a bullpen that's struggling to hold leads, the shortstop's brilliance often feels like a solo act in a losing effort.

After Witt's go-ahead double, Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson answered with a game-tying single in the bottom of the 10th—St. Louis's first hit in nine chances with runners in scoring position on the night. The Cardinals eventually won 5-4 in the 11th, denying Witt one more at-bat to add to his already impressive WAR tally.

For now, Bobby Witt Jr. remains baseball's most complete player. The question is how long the Royals can keep him from being the league's most valuable one-man band.

Like this article?

Order custom jerseys for your team with free design

Related Topics

Related News

Back to All News