The latest on Bobby Witt Jr.
Keeping tabs on the top prospect in the game
We'll be posting daily updates on Royals third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. this season, with the latest news on the No. 1 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline.
April 12: Witt hitless in four at-bats
Witt went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Kansas City's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. That dropped him to a .100 batting average (2-for-20) on the young season.
April 11: Scores twice in hitless day
Witt Jr. had another quiet day at the plate on Monday, going 0-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. He struck out three times as well, but his uneventful day was overshadowed by another rookie sensation, Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who reached base for a record 15th time in his first four MLB games. Gameday ?
April 10: Witt doubles and drives in two
The Royals were routed by the Guardians, 17-3, but Witt drove in two of Kansas City's three runs with a two-run double in the third inning at Kauffman Stadium.
April 9: Witt goes 0-for-4, but saves game defensively
Bobby Witt Jr. went hitless in four at-bats during the Royals' 1-0, 10-inning win over the Guardians on Saturday at Kauffman Stadium, but it was his tremendous defensive play in the top of the 10th that saved the go-ahead run. With runners at the corners and one out, Cleveland's Oscar Mercado hit a ground ball down the third-base line. Witt back-handed the ball and, while his feet gave way beneath him, he threw home to get the runner trying to score. In the bottom of the 10th, Adalberto Mondesi delivered a walk-off single. More ?
April 7: Witt Jr. wastes no time
Bobby Witt Jr. not only got the start at third base on Opening Day, but the 21-year-old phenom came through with what proved to be the game-winning hit in the Royals' 3-1 victory over the Guardians. With the game tied at 1 in the bottom of the eighth, Witt stepped to the plate -- amid one of the numerous ovations he received from the Kauffman Stadium crowd -- with a runner on second and two outs. He promptly roped a ball into left field for an RBI double, eliciting "BOB-BY!" chants from the hometown fans.
April 6: What to expect from Witt Jr.
The Majors¡¯ next big talent has arrived in Kansas City.
No. 1 overall?prospect?Bobby Witt Jr.?will be the Royals¡¯ Opening Day third baseman, the club officially confirmed. His debut will come Thursday against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. More ?
April 5: Witt Jr. makes the Opening Day roster
PHOENIX -- It¡¯s Bobby Witt Jr.?¡¯s time in Kansas City.
The No. 1 prospect in baseball is breaking camp with the Royals, and he will make his debut on Opening Day as the Royals¡¯ starting third baseman against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium, ushering in a new era in Kansas City. Witt and the Royals announced the expected news before their final Cactus League game.
All spring, the club has hinted this is the path that it would like to take with the 21-year-old infielder from Colleyville, Texas. Witt was a non-roster invite to big league camp, but he fit right in with the Major League team, playing third base with the regulars and taking batting practice with a group that included Salvador Perez, Carlos Santana and Adalberto Mondesi. Full story ?
April 3: Witt Jr. continues impressive spring performance
With only days remaining in Spring Training, MLB's No. 1 prospect finds himself on the precipice of his Major League debut. And with good reason. Although the Royals have yet to make any public decisions, Witt has done nothing but impress in Cactus League competition, batting .400 with a 1.138 OPS, five extra-base hits, 10 runs, seven RBIs, two stolen bases and just three strikeouts in 11 games. Full story ?
March 29: Witt Jr. picks up two more hits
A hot spring continued for baseball¡¯s top prospect with two more singles in three at-bats and an RBI. Witt has at least one hit in seven of the eight games he¡¯s played this year, including six straight. Against the Mariners, Witt bounced a run-scoring single up the middle in the top of the first inning before reaching on a single to third base in the fifth. In 23 total plate appearances over eight contests this spring, Witt is hitting .476/.522/.857.
March 24: Another game, another Witt Jr. homer
With just two weeks until Opening Day, baseball¡¯s No. 1 prospect is starting to get hot.
Bobby Witt Jr. crushed his second home run in as many games Thursday, this one a monster three-run shot to left-center field against the Reds¡¯ Justin Wilson.
¡°Apparently all he has to do is make contact and it¡¯s going over the fence,¡± Vinnie Pasquantino said about his teammate. ¡°I get to joke around with him here, but he¡¯s doing what he loves, which is really why I like watching it. You can tell how much he loves doing what he¡¯s doing.¡±
In the fourth inning, Wilson got behind in the count 1-0 and countered with a fastball inside. Witt Jr. didn¡¯t miss it.
¡°It¡¯s always great getting more comfortable each and every day, seeing new pitching and trying to continue to be myself,¡± Witt Jr. said. ¡°Try to have good at-bats and help the team.¡± -- Anne Rogers
March 22: Witt Jr. obliterates first spring homer
MLB's No. 1 prospect had put together some good at-bats through two Spring Training games entering Tuesday, but he was still searching for that first home run.
He left no doubt about his blast Tuesday afternoon against the A¡¯s.
In the third inning, facing Oakland pitcher Austin Pruitt, Witt Jr. got to two strikes early but battled his way back. Then he sent a pitch into orbit. It landed on the concourse of left-center field, just under the scoreboard at Surprise Stadium.
¡°Last at-bat before that, I made solid contact, so I was just trying to go up there and do the same thing,¡± Witt Jr. said. ¡°See some pitches, and then he was throwing a lot of sliders. Then he came in, and I was able to be on time. Got to it. I think the wind changed a little bit, so luckily I was able to get out.¡±
Witt Jr. has showcased all his tools so far this spring, and his hand-eye coordination and game prep for pitchers he¡¯s facing has stood out to those around him.
¡°Guys standing around after he fouled off, got a little deeper in the count, said, ¡®He¡¯s seen a lot of pitches, this is probably going to get hit hard,¡¯¡± Royals manager Mike Matheny said. ¡°He does do a nice job of really studying through each pitch. He¡¯s not just up there hacking. He¡¯s got a plan. And listening to him come back and talk about what he¡¯s seen, how the pitch reacts compared to how he anticipated it to, he¡¯s studying.¡± -- Anne Rogers
March 18: Witt Jr. starts off with two-hit game
With the release of the MLB Pipeline's 2022 Top 100 Prospect list, Witt Jr. was named the top prospect in baseball and celebrated his new status with a two-hit game in his Spring Training debut. Batting eighth and playing third base, Witt roped a single in his first at-bat and added a double in the fourth before exiting the game. Following a dominant season in which he mashed 33 homers and stole 29 bases across Double-A and Triple-A, Royals fans may not need to wait long to see Witt make his Major League debut.
March 17: Roundtable: Why Witt Jr. is No. 1
With the release of MLB Pipeline¡¯s new Top 100 Prospects comes the announcement of a new No. 1. And even though our previous No. 1 hasn¡¯t graduated yet, we do in fact have a new one. Pipeline¡¯s prospect experts sat down with MLB.com editor Alyson Footer to discuss Bobby Witt Jr., what made him stand out, and the cases for two other candidates for the top spot. Full story ?
March 17: Witt Jr. names MLB Pipeline's top overall prospect
With graduations, performances and an influx of new talent via the Draft and international signings, there was a lot to consider when constructing this year¡¯s Top 100. For the first time in a very long time, the list is not topped by Rays phenom Wander Franco. And for the first time ever, the top eight players are all from the same league.
Franco was our No. 1 prospect for four straight lists, from the 2019 midseason to the '21 preseason rankings, before graduating off the list during the '21 season. He¡¯s handed off to another shortstop, Royals future star Bobby Witt Jr., who leads a Top 10 that features eight American Leaguers, including a pair of Orioles and Tigers. After that run at the top, the National League catches up, with the AL finishing with an ever-so-slight 51-49 edge. Full story ?
March 17: Witt Sr. has bragging rights ... for now
An earlier version of this story appeared in August 2021.
When Bobby Witt Jr. was picked second overall in the 2019 Draft, it earned him and his father some pretty hefty bragging rights: They became the first father-son duo in big league history to be selected in the first five picks.
"I really wasn't aware of that [fact] until the Draft, actually, when it happened," Witt Sr. said in a recent phone call. "Because he went number two, and I went three, he wears the big belt around the house, as far as that goes. He set his goals, he just wanted to be able to go as high as he could and things worked out with Kansas City. It was a really, really good situation for him." Full story ?