Fastball

Royals Star on Pace to Do Something Not Done Since the 1800s in Baseball History

Bobby Witt Jr. is currently on pace to do something last done in 1896!

Brady Farkas

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) gestures to the dugout after hitting a double during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium on July 22.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) gestures to the dugout after hitting a double during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium on July 22. / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
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The Kansas City Royals lost on Tuesday night 6-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first loss since the All-Star break.

They are now 56-46 and currently sitting in the third wild card spot in the American League. They are seeking their first playoff berth since the 2015 season, which is when they last won the World Series.

Despite the loss, Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. continued his torrid second half by going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He's now hitting a robust .340 with 18 homers, 70 RBI and 23 stolen bases. A first time All-Star this year, he's also expected to be in contention for the American League MVP Award.

He's also currently on pace to do something not done since the 1800s of baseball history, according to @OptaSTATS on social media:

The @Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. is currently leading MLB in hits, runs & games played this season.

The only player to finish a season leading MLB in all three categories was Jesse Burkett in 1896.

Witt Jr. has played in all 102 games this year and is the driving force in the Royals lineup, along with Salvador Perez. He has 82 runs scored and 138 hits and has a very good chance at reaching the 200-hit plateau.

The Royals and Diamondbacks will play each other again on Wednesday night with the first pitch coming at 8:10 p.m. ET. Ryne Nelson will get the ball for Arizona. He's 7-6 on the year while Michael Wacha also pitches for Kansas City. He's 7-6 as well.

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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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