Witt Jr.’s blast gets offense started as the Kansas City Royals rally, stay unbeaten
The pitch cruised towards the inner half of the plate about thigh high, and Kansas City Royals 21-year-old phenom Bobby Witt Jr. sent it into left-center field so fast it seemed like it had a jet pack attached.
“The last at-bat before that I had solid contact,” Witt said, referring to a line-out to left field in the third. “I was just really trying to go up there and do the same thing, see some pitches. He was throwing a lot of sliders and stuff. Then he came in, and I was able to be on time and got to it. I think the wind changed a little bit. That’s where, that time with luck, it was able to get out.”
Witt’s first home run of the spring, a two-run blast in the sixth inning that cleared the grass berm and landed on the concourse, gave the Royals their first runs of the game.
Brewer Hicklen’s eighth-inning homer gave the Royals (3-0-1) their first lead of the day and helped propel them to a 5-3 win over the Oakland Athletics in a Cactus League game in front of an announced 3,311 in Surprise Stadium on Tuesday.
The Royals’ Hunter Dozier had two hits, and Clay Dungan went 1 for 1 off the bench.
With the Royals trailing 3-0, Witt jumped on a 2-2 pitch from Athletics right-hander Austin Pruitt with Royals two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield (2 for 2, walk) on base.
“Actually, guys standing around us after he fouled off and got a little deeper in the count said, ‘He’s seen a lot of pitches. This is probably going to get hit hard,’” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He does do a nice job of really studying through each pitch. He’s not just up there hacking. He’s got a plan.”
Witt has now gone 3 for 7 with a double and a homer in three spring training exhibition games while starting at third base. On Tuesday, he batted second in the lineup behind Merrifield with Nicky Lopez getting a day off. Merrifield started at second base.
Witt showed off his power last spring with three home runs in 14 games during big-league camp. He slashed .289/.325/.526 during Cactus League games.
Last year in his first full season in the minors, Witt slashed .290/.361/.575 with 33 home runs, 35 doubles, 29 stolen bases and 97 RBIs in 123 games (61 at Double-A, 62 at Triple-A).
“I’m just trying to simplify as much as possible,” Witt said of his swing. “Just trying to get as short and quick as possible and try stay in the zone as long as possible because these guys are throwing 100, throwing 92-mile per hour sliders. You’ve just got to make contact, it will go. Just try to put the barrel on the ball and hopefully good things will happen.”
He earned Minor League Player of the Year honors from both Baseball America and USA Today. MLBPipeline.com has named him the site’s No. 1 overall prospect entering this season.
Zerpa laser-focused
Left-handed pitcher Angel Zerpa made his first start of spring training on Tuesday against the Athletics. He tossed two no-hit innings and registered a strikeout in a brief, but flawless, outing.
The native of Venezuela came into camp with a very clear intent.
“The goal is to make the roster from the go,” Zerpa said with assistant strength and conditioning coach/Latin American coordinator Luis Perez serving as translator.
Zerpa, 22, made just one start in the majors late last season. He pitched five innings and struck out four against Cleveland on September 30. He allowed two unearned runs and allowed three hits and one walk in that outing, and he became the youngest pitcher to start for the Royals since Zack Greinke in 2005.
When asked what he took from his experience in the majors last season, Zerpa said, “First off, you just have to take in the advice you get from all the people around here, all the players. Secondarily, you can’t make mistakes in the big leagues. Once you make mistakes, usually it doesn’t go well. So I’m just learning to locate pitches and be consistent.”
Zerpa’s demeanor is so even-keeled, despite his relatively brief big-league experience, that Matheny quipped, “You walk over and check him for a heartbeat every once in a while. He’s calm, and I think there’s a toughness in there.”
As for his outing on Tuesday, Matheny added, “I thought he was great. He was probably on one of those paces to throw an 84-pitch complete game, just a good rhythm. … He trusts himself and is not afraid to pitch to contact and realize good things happen in a bigger park with a good defense.”
Last season in the minors, Zerpa went 4-4 with a 4.58 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and a .250 opponent’s batting average in 22 starts between three different levels.
Greinke and Keller on deck
Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields should feature two of the Royals’ top starting pitchers.
Recently reacquired former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke and two-time opening day starter Brad Keller are both listed as probable pitchers on Wednesday. Neither has pitched in a Cactus League game yet this spring.
Left-handed Foster Griffin and right-handed reliever Arodys Vizcaino are also listed as probables for the Royals.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 7:40 PM.
