How does top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. best fit into the Kansas City Royals’ lineup?
It’s hard to deny that Whit and Witt batting back-to-back in the Kansas City Royals’ lineup has a certain charm to it.
Already this spring training in Arizona, the scene has unfolded multiple times with the veteran All-Star leadoff man Whit Merrifield bumping fists in the on deck circle with Bobby Witt Jr., the youngster seemingly preordained as the franchise’s likely next superstar, as they prepare to match wits with an opposing pitcher.
That combination provided instant offense in the first inning of Tuesday’s exhibition win against the Seattle Mariners. Merrifield hammered a double off the outfield wall, then Witt smacked an RBI single up the middle in a scene that Royals fans probably hope will repeat itself numerous times from April through September, if not October.
But is that the best place for the young phenom Witt? Last season, the No. 2 hole in the lineup sat smack dab between All-Stars and team leaders Merrifield and Salvador Perez. Would that be too much of a spotlight, too much pressure, too much expectation to place on the shoulders of the 21-year-old who still hasn’t made his major-league debut?
“If Bobby makes the team, I think it doesn’t really matter where you put him in the lineup,” Merrifield said. “I think he’ll be just fine. So, yeah. We’ll see what happens. If he’s on our team, I don’t think it matters where he’s at in the lineup. He’s going to be just fine.”
Witt’s potential offensive productivity has been evident since before the Royals selected him with the second overall pick — yes, there’s the No. 2 again — in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Last season, 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).
One projection (ZiPS) for Witt’s upcoming season forecasts a .268/.323/.454 slash line with 21 home runs, 64 RBIs and 23 stolen bases.
Last season, 21 home runs would have ranked second on the Royals behind Perez’s 48. The Royals did not have another 20-homer player in their lineup last season. Carlos Santana, who was largely hampered by injury in the second half of the season, hit 19.
Last season with Adalberto Mondesi out for most of the season due to injuries, Merrifield led the team with 40 stolen bases. Nicky Lopez’s 22 steals ranked second on the team.
In Cactus League exhibition games, the placement of Witt behind Merrifield has seemed to be a fitting alignment. It allows hitters who combine a mixture of patience, power and pure hitting like Andrew Benintendi and Santana to bat behind the notoriously free-swinging Perez.
This spring, that has primarily left a quartet of Hunter Dozier, Michael A. Taylor, Mondesi and Lopez to round out the batting order. Lopez, who batted .300 last season, has slotted in the ninth spot.
“We’ll see what happens and what kind of lineup they roll out there on Opening Day, but (it should be) fast, can spray the ball all over the field,” Benintendi said of the offensive identity of this year’s club.
“Obviously, we’ve got guys in the middle of the lineup like Salvy and Santana and guys that can run a lot out there. So with Whit leading off and if Bobby Witt is hitting second, Nicky hitting ninth, it’s just a bunch of speed. It’s going to be fun.”
Exposing Witt to the masses
When iconic talents such as Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts broke into the majors, they debuted at lower profile and presumably lower pressure positions in the order.
Jones came off the bench in his first taste of the majors in 1993. Rodriguez batted ninth in 28 of his 38 starts in 1995. Trout debuted in the No. 9 spot and batted in the bottom third of the order in 2011. Betts batted eighth when he first got to the big leagues in 2014.
However, Witt would not only be making his debut, he’d also step into the lineup as an everyday player. For several of those perennial All-Stars and MVP-type players, the debut and becoming an everyday player didn’t necessarily happen at the same time.
Jones slotted right into the third spot in all but three games he started for the Atlanta Braves lineup in 1995, in the middle of a historic run of team success. Rodriguez batted in the No. 2 hole in 123 games as an everyday player for the Seattle Mariners in 1996.
Trout moved to the leadoff spot for the Los Angeles Angels in 2012. Similarly, Betts sat atop the Boston Red Sox lineup for 117 of his 141 starts in 2015.
A player’s position in the lineup isn’t something that Royals manager Mike Matheny takes lightly in any circumstance.
In regard to a young player, the list of factors he and his staff weigh and questions they ask includes: Has the player been exposed to pressure already? How has he responded? Has he shown the necessary ability? Is the timing/situation right? What has he shown in the past?
What does past experience indicate?
They also gather feedback from a variety of people in the organization who’ve become familiar with the player over the years.
There’s a lot that goes into, in Matheny’s words, “when we expose a guy and how we expose him.”
That level of thoughtfulness isn’t exclusive to young players. Matheny said basically any lineup shift or juggling of the order comes with communication as well as consideration.
“It’s what gives us the best chance for success today, first and foremost,” Matheny said. “Second, and real close to it, is what gives this particular player the best chance of success for him personally as well.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 10:48 AM.
