Kansas City Royals’ God-king Bobby Witt Jr. is having a season for the ages. The superstar shortstop had 44 hits and batted .489 in July, giving Witt Jr. the most hits and highest batting average in a single month since Lou Gehrig in 1930 when the Iron Horse had 55 hits and a .495 average in June. Now the young Royal has etched his name in the baseball record book yet again.
Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 20th home run of the year today, going deep off the Detroit Tigers’ Brenan Hanifee in the top of the eighth inning. The 24-year-old All-Star gave his Royals a 5-1 lead over Detroit. But more importantly, with that long ball, Witt Jr. became the first-ever player in MLB history to hit 20 or more home runs and steal 20 or more bases in each of his first three seasons, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.
And we’re talking about a lot of history. The American League has been around for 123 years now. The National League was founded 148 years ago. And not a single player in all that time – not Willie Mays, or Barry Bonds, or Mike Trout, or A-Rod, or Carlos Beltran – has ever accomplished what Witt Jr. just pulled off.
Bonds has the most career 20/20 seasons ever. Well, actually, two Bondses. Barry and his father Bobby each hit at least 20 homers and stole at least 20 bases in 10 different seasons. Beltran did it seven times in his 20-year career while Mays and A-Rod each did it on six occasions. Trout has only managed the feat five times. And although he’s still active, Trout's body is sadly not cooperating with the wear and tear of a 162-game season.
Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. is rewriting baseball's record book
Witt Jr. has a way to go before he can claim his place as the all-time leader in 20/20 seasons. But no one has ever gotten off to a better start.
The Royals’ star has been simply extraordinary this season. He leads MLB in hits (153), batting average (.350) and runs scored (93) to go along with 31 doubles, 20 home runs, 78 RBI and 24 steals. He’s produced an incredible 7 WAR and 171 OPS+ in 109 games for the Royals so far.
Witt Jr. made his first All-Star game this year and finished second in the Home Run Derby – it seems safe to say the event has not ruined his swing. Perhaps most impressively, he has breathed life into the Royals’ fanbase as the team is an impressive 12 games above .500 and just six games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.
If the season ended today, the Royals would have the second AL Wild Card berth locked up as Kansas City currently holds a half game lead over their division rivals the Minnesota Twins. While the Royals are having a special season, it's due in large part to their very special shortstop.
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