Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals top prospect, makes the team
On Saturday, the Kansas City Royals announced that their number one prospect, Bobby Witt Jr., has made the Opening Day team. Witt Jr. is the son of former big-league pitcher Bobby Witt, who played 16 years in the majors.
The Kansas City Royals drafted the MLB top prospect in the 2019 MLB draft with the second overall pick in the first round.
Now, after jumping pretty fast across the minors, Bobby Witt Jr. can most likely make a considerable impact at shortstop for the Kansas City Royals.
This spring, the rookie infielder had great numbers slashing .407/.448/.741 with an OPS of 1.189. In 27 at-bats, he had 11 hits, 7 RBIs, and two home runs. Incredibly, Witt Jr. has only played one entire season in the minors between AA and AAA in 2021. There was no season in the minors during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An event that many thought could hold back prospects like Bobby Witt Jr.
But where does Witt Jr. fit in the current Royals roster? Well, it’s complicated. Nicky Lopez played 151 games last year, 148 at short. His numbers also looked good, hitting .300/.365/.378 last year. However, Lopez is more a contact hitter than a power one. As a result, he only got two homers the entire season.
Bobby Witt Jr. also plays third base. But, the Royals have Hunter Dozier and Emmanuel Rivera platooning such a position. So, the rookie might need to adjust to various places until Mike Matheny, the team’s manager, gets a sweet spot in where to set everyone.
Patrick Mahomes continues to be the talk of Kansas City. The Royals, not so much. They suffer from the same fate the Cubs are facing; they were just World Series Champions a couple of years ago (2015). They got good players. Some had very high ceilings at one time.
Kansas City also made some moves. They traded for closer Amir Garrett and brought home, Zack Greinke. With the addition of Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals are trying to compete in an already tough division.
Detroit also announced on Saturday that Spencer Torkelson, their number one prospect, number four in the MLB pipeline, also made the Opening Day roster.
This division is up for grabs, and any team can be at the top in October. Well, not Cleveland. They spent their money on a sign and a theme song.
Next. Predicting the 2022 AL Central standings. dark
Bobby WItt Jr. will wear #7 for the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day.