Royals Superstar Joins Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx in Postseason Record Books
As was the case for the vast majority of the 2024 season, the Kansas City Royals would have been nothing without their young superstar in their first-round playoff matchup.
The Royals kept their storybook season alive with a two-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series, winning a pair of nailbiters, 1-0 and 2-1. The pitching was the engine keeping them going, but Bobby Witt Jr. was the true difference-maker.
Witt picked up three hits in the two games against Baltimore, and two of them mattered above all else. He drove in the lone run in Tuesday's game with a two-out single off Orioles ace Corbin Burnes, then legged out a two-out infield single to provide the Royals' second run on Wednesday.
If those hits seemed unusually clutch for a 24-year-old in his first playoff action, it's because they were. In fact, they were historically clutch.
According to MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs, Witt became the second player in big-league history to drive in the game-winning runs in each of his first two postseason games. The other, Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx, did it for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929.
It may be a little early for Jimmie Foxx comparisons, but it's safe to say any concerns about Witt's adjustment to postseason competition have quickly been erased. And he hasn't even begun hitting for power yet, so perhaps that could still be coming.
Unfortunately, the Royals only had one other RBI in the entire series--a first-inning single from Vinnie Pasquantino on Tuesday. It was enough to get the job done against the Orioles, but it will take a lot more runs to unseat Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and the New York Yankees.
If anyone is ready for the bright lights in the Bronx, though, it's Witt. He's quickly proving that no stage is too big for his immense talents.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org