Fastball

Kansas City Royals Shortstop Hits Another Major Milestone en Route to Baseball History

Bobby Witt Jr. is in the midst of a special season for the Kansas City Royals.

Brady Farkas

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) in the on-deck circle against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park on Sept 13.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) in the on-deck circle against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park on Sept 13. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. has hit a home run in the top of the first inning on Saturday as the Royals are battling the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That home run was his 31st of the season and now gives him 100 RBI. He is the second Royal to hit the 100-RBI mark, joining Salvador Perez.

Furthermore, now that he's hit the century mark, Witt Jr. is headed for some incredible baseball history.

Per @JayHayKid of the "Baseball is Dead" podcast on social media:

Bobby Witt Jr. would be just the 2nd SS in MLB history to win the batting title in a season with 30+ HR and 100+ RBI, along with Alex Rodriguez in 1996.

As of this posting, Witt Jr. is hitting .333 for the year, which does lead the American League. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is next with a .321.

It's been another year of growth for Witt Jr., who has helped the Royals go from a 56-106 record in 2023 to a (very likely) playoff team here in 2024. He made the All-Star Game and is going to finish 1-2 with Judge in the American League MVP voting, barring a complete collapse by either player.

At the age of 24, Witt Jr. is already one of the best players in the league and is carrying a .982 OPS.

The Royals entered play on Saturday 81-67 and in sole possession of the second wild card spot in the American League. They will play the Pirates again on Sunday afternoon.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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