The Kansas City Royals advanced to the ALDS with a 2-1 win on Game 2 of the Wild Card series against the Baltimore Orioles, completing a two-game sweep, and superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a declaration about his team after the game.
“This group is special,” Bobby Witt Jr. said, via Jeff Passan of ESPN. “And we're not done yet.”
The Royals will now prepare for the ALDS against the New York Yankees, who are the top seed in the American League. Game 1 will take place on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. It is a throwback series for many, as the Yankees and Royals played in many hard-fought series in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite going in as underdogs against the Yankees, Witt and the Royals are expecting to go far in the playoffs
“We didn't come this far just to come this far,” Witt said, via Passan. “so we're going to keep getting after it, keep trying to create our own legacy.”
Kansas City's pitching staff stepped up big time in the two games against the Orioles, as they gave up just one run in the two games. The run came on a Cedric Mullins home run in Game 2. The offense will likely have to produce more runs to beat the Yankees, but the games should be tight given the quality of both teams' pitching staffs.
MVP candidates in Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge square off in Royals vs Yankees series
Although Aaron Judge is likely to run away with the MVP award in the American League this season, Witt was his main challenger, and it was a close race for much of the season. This adds intrigue to this matchup. Aaron Judge can change the game with one swing, just as Juan Soto can as well. Witt is a game-changing talent on both sides of the ball, as he is a threat in many areas.
Witt is one of the best hitters in the game, a great defensive shortstop, and any time he steps on first base, he is a threat to steal second and third base. The stolen base threat means that teams are incentivized to pitch to Witt, as they do not want to risk him stealing two bags and ending up on third.
It will be interesting to see how this series plays out. Game 1 will feature Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and the Royals have not announced a starter yet, but it seems like Michael Wacha is very much in play.