Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Makes Incredible But Sad Baseball History

The Royals infielder had an amazing statistical game on Friday night, but the Royals lost the game, putting him in a class all his own in baseball history.

Kansas City Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. had an incredible statistical game on Friday night against the Washington Nationals, but ended up on the wrong side of some very odd history.

Witt Jr. went 4-5 at the plate with five RBI and three runs scored.

@OptaSTATS has the history behind it all on Twitter:

Bobby Witt Jr. is the only MLB player to... 

- notch 4+ hits 

- hit 2+ HR 

- drive in 5+ runs 

- steal a base

 ...and yet still lose the game. MLB players had been a combined 47-0 when doing all of that in a game before today (since RBI became an official stat in 1920).

Bobby Witt Jr. is the only MLB player to...

- notch 4+ hits
- hit 2+ HR
- drive in 5+ runs
- steal a base

...and yet still lose the game.

MLB players had been a combined 47-0 when doing all of that in a game before today (since RBI became an official stat in 1920).

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 27, 2023

That's just sad. To put up those kind of numbers, and lose? It just doesn't feel fair. The Nationals won the game, 12-10, in part by scoring eight runs in the sixth inning. They added three more in the ninth. 

Witt Jr. is now hitting .241 on the season with nine homers, 25 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He's posted a .720 OPS on the year.

He made his major league debut in 2022 and is a lifetime .250 hitter with 29 homers and 105 RBI. He has 45 career steals.

With the loss, the Royals are now 15-37 and own the second-worst record in baseball. They are in last place in the American League Central.

With the win, the Nationals are now 22-29. They are in last place in the National League East.

The two teams will play again on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET.