Fastball

Kansas City Royals Star Makes Even More History in Sunday Loss to Astros

This past weekend was a devastating one for the Kansas City Royals in many ways, but it did continue the historic season of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Brady Farkas

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates with third base coach Vance Wilson (25) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 1.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) celebrates with third base coach Vance Wilson (25) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 1. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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The Kansas City Royals are coming off a terrible weekend in Houston against the Astros. First, they were swept in the four-game set. Then, they dropped into a tie with the Minnesota Twins for the second wild card spot in the American League. Finally, they lost first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to a broken thumb. He'll miss the regular season and possibly any postseason run.

Though the weekend was horrible, it did bring one good for Kansas City: The continued dominance of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Witt Jr. became the first Royals player to post back-to-back 30-homer seasons with a blast on Sunday. That was part of a 1-for-4 effort that also saw him re-arrange the record books in other ways as well.

Per StatsCentre on social media:

Seasons of 11+ triples, 23+ stolen bases, 28+ doubles and 30+ home runs - MLB history:
@Royals Bobby Witt Jr. (2024 via his 30th HR on Sunday, giving him a line of 11-27-39-30)
Witt Jr. (11-49-28-30 in 2023)
Jimmy Rollins (20-41-38-30 in 2007)
Ken Williams (11-37-34-39 in 1922)

And this one, with regards to total bases:

(Related) Most extra base hits in a season - @Royals franchise history (1969-present):
86- Hal McRae (1977)
85- George Brett (1979)
82- Jorge Soler (2019)
81- Witt Jr. (2024)
81- McRae (1982)
80- Carlos Beltran (2002)
79- Jermaine Dye (1999)
76- Dye (2000)
75- Mike Sweeney (2001)

Any time that you are up there with Brett (a Hall of Famer) and Beltran, Sweeney, McRae and Dye, you're doing something right.

Witt Jr. is among the best players in all of baseball and is likely to finish in the top two of MVP voting in the American League. He's also hitting .340, making him a near-lock to win the batting title this season.

The Royals will play the Cleveland Guardians on Monday at 4:10 p.m. ET.

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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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