Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has quickly ascended into stardom. After notching a unique feat earlier this year, Witt Jr. reached another milestone against the Boston Red Sox. The speedy shortstop took advantage of Dustin May, swiping his 30th base. That stolen bag gave Witt Jr. four straight seasons with 30 or more in his career, the first to do so since Ichiro Suzuki.
According to Royals play-by-play broadcaster Jake Eisenberg, Witt Jr. is in rare company with his base running to start his career. Suzuki was the last player to steal at least 30 stolen bags in the first four seasons of his professional career. However, Witt Jr. needs to do so four more times to match Suzuki's streak. If he does that, he could join the legend in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Suzuki, along with CC Sabathia and the rest of this year's class, entered the Hall of Fame last month. While the former Seattle Mariners shortstop is remembered for his personality, he was a thief on the base paths. He goes down as one of the best base runners Major League Baseball has ever seen. With his steal, Witt Jr. took one step closer to tracking him down.
Witt Jr. hit an RBI single off May to get the scoring started for the Royals. Kansas City's All-Star scored his new teammate, Mike Yastrzemski, with whom he is excited to play. The Royals are looking to avoid a sweep against the Red Sox before their weekend series at the Minnesota Twins.
Witt Jr. is not having as good a year as 2024, but the infielder's star continues to rise. His team faces an uphill climb, but the Royals have not given up on their postseason hopes just yet. In order to get there, though, Kansas City needs Witt Jr. to be at his best, both in the box and as a base runner.
