‘A very talented player’: White Sox GM Chris Getz praises Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr.
When it comes to the Kansas City Royals, Bobby Witt Jr. is highlighted in bold letters on the scouting report.
Witt, 23, is a young phenom in Major League Baseball. He is coming off a historic 2023 campaign where he hit .276 with 30 home runs, 96 RBIs and 49 steals. Witt also became the first Royals player with a 30-30 season and has his jersey on display in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Royals rewarded Witt with a lengthy contract extension. He is set to make a guaranteed $288.7 million in the deal. Witt is firmly entrenched as the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
And opposing teams have noticed.
“He is not a player we look forward to facing when we are playing the Kansas City Royals,” Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “He can impact the game in so many different ways. The way he runs the bases, how he defends the shortstop position, the offense he brings to the table. He is one that I know is a very talented player.”
Getz is familiar with playing in Kansas City. He spent four seasons with the Royals and was primarily a second baseman. He understands the magnitude to play a keystone position on a nightly basis.
The Royals produced several talented middle infielders over the years. Royals Hall of Famers Cookie Rojas, Frank White and Fred Patek paved the way. Meanwhile, former Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar played a pivotal role for the 2014 team, and World Series champion 2015 team.
Getz thinks Witt can reach a similar level of success in his career.
“He’s starting to have a lot of success at the major league level and the sky is the limit for him,” Getz said. “As an opponent, he is a guy we don’t look forward to playing.”
Witt has played 30 career games against the White Sox. He recorded 28 hits in 118 at-bats and posted an .663 OPS (on-base + slugging percentage).
The Royals will play the White Sox 13 times this season. Both teams will play seven times in April and six times in July. KC will host the White Sox April 4-7 in their second home stand of the 2024 campaign.
