Royals Bobby Witt Jr.’s legend grows after pulling off feat last done by Jimmie Foxx
The Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 on Wednesday to sweep the Wild Card Series and advance to the ALDS. The Royals took Game One 1-0 behind six scoreless innings from starting pitcher Cole Ragans and a sixth inning RBI single from All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
On Wednesday Witt Jr. once again played the hero for the Royals. With the game tied 1-1 after five innings, Witt Jr. beat out an infield single allowing the go-ahead run to score. The Royals star became just the second player in baseball history to drive in the winning run in his first two postseason games, per MLB Network’s official account on X. The only other player to accomplish the feat is Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx, who made his postseason debut in 1929.
Despite producing a 30/30 season in his second year in MLB – hitting 30 or more home runs and stealing 30 or more bases – Witt Jr. truly broke out in 2024. He won the batting title, hitting .332 and led the majors with 211 base hits. He also had a .977 OPS, an OPS+ of 171 and finished second, behind Aaron Judge, with 9.4 bWAR in 161 games for the Royals. Witt Jr. once again delivered a 30/30 campaign, making history as the only player ever to hit 20 or more home runs and steal 20 or more bases in each of his first three seasons. He’s also the only shortstop to ever have multiple 30/30 seasons.
Bobby Witt Jr. made more baseball history in the Royals’ Wild Card win
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
The third-year pro has had such an impact on the Royals that Kansas City’s GM J.J. Picollo compared him to another KC great, Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback has been supportive of Kansas City’s baseball team, celebrating the Royals’ big win in Game One of the Wild Card Series.
Having dispatched the Orioles with strong pitching, defense and timely hitting by Witt Jr., the Royals now head to New York to take on the Yankees in the American League Division Series. The ALDS, which begins Saturday, will feature the top two players in the league – Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge.
While Judge is a lock to win his second-career MVP award after leading the majors in home runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133), OPS (1.159), OPS+ (223) and bWAR (10.8), Witt Jr. prevented him from winning the Triple Crown. The Royals’ shortstop would certainly have taken home the AL MVP if not for Judge’s extraordinary season. And if he continues on his history-making trajectory, it won’t be long before the 24 year old wins the award outright.
In the meantime, Witt Jr. would no doubt settle for a victory in the ALDS against the Yankees. Should the fifth seeded Royals pull off the upset, they would play the winner of the Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians series.
The post Royals Bobby Witt Jr.’s legend grows after pulling off feat last done by Jimmie Foxx appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings