Fastball

Kansas City Royals Win as Bobby Witt Jr. Ties Franchise Legends in Team History

The Kansas City Royals began their series on Friday night with a huge win over the Cincinnati Reds and Bobby Witt Jr. was the driving force yet again.

Brady Farkas

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium on Aug 7.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium on Aug 7. / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
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The Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night by a score of 7-1 as they moved to 67-55 on the year. It was a crucial win for Kansas City, who remains 2.5 games ahead of Boston in the chase for the third and final wild card spot. They are now 4.5 games ahead of Seattle.

The Royals are seeking their first playoff berth since the 2015 season, which is also the last time they won the World Series.

As he usually is, Royals' shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was the driving force behind the Royals offense. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored, a walk and an RBI. He's now hitting a ridiculous .352 this season and has posted a 1.021 OPS.

He's currently on track to win the batting title in the American League and will likely battle it out with Yankees' star Aaron Judge for the American League MVP Award. Witt Jr. already earned his first All-Star Game berth this summer. He also joined a small and prestigious group in team history on Friday, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

seasons of 25+ HR & 25+ SB, Royals history:

Bobby Witt Jr.: 2
Carlos Beltrán: 2
Bo Jackson: 2

he’s 24 years old!!!

To be one of just three players in team history to accomplish that twice is incredible, considering that the Royals have a long and rich history. At just 24-years-old, Witt Jr. is likely to destroy many franchise records and will take aim at doing this for a third time in 2025.

The Royals will play the Reds again on Saturday night at 6:40 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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