Bobby Witt Jr. is hearing MVP chants at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals star is on fire
Kansas City Royals starter Cole Ragans struggled to find the words. Minutes earlier, Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino couldn’t help but smile.
Both players tried to comprehend what they’d just witnessed. Somehow, the Royals’ biggest phenomenon had just topped his latest act.
And it was simply marvelous.
On Wednesday, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. added another signature moment to his American League MVP campaign. He hit two home runs and recorded four RBIs in the Royals’ 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox, arguably their biggest game of the season to date given the Wild Card implications.
The Royals needed Witt’s offense while Kauffman Stadium fed off his magnetic energy. Amid it all, a crowd of 16,550 fans serenaded him with “MVP” chants.
“He’s easily in the top two or three players in the American League at least,” Pasquantino said. “I’d argue in the whole league. He is just incredible and he is a better guy. … He is just one of the best and it’s really cool to share a clubhouse with a guy like that.”
Witt is squarely in the AL MVP discussion, joining New York Yankees duo Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Baltimore Orioles star Gunnar Henderson also has a compelling case.
However, Witt is peaking at the right time. He leads the majors in multiple categories including batting average, hits and runs scored. Witt is also top 5 in RBIs, doubles, triples and OPS (on-base plus slugging).
Oh, and he’s also top 10 in stolen bases.
“The kid is special,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s special. The way he conducts himself, the way he plays the game. It’s a joy from our dugout. I hate it, but I love it. And he’s so polite. I think the game is in good hands, man.
“… This kid is going to be something special. He already is.”
Witt made another MVP claim on Wednesday. In his first at-bat, he rocketed a solo home run off Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford. While he didn’t square it cleanly, the baseball traveled over the left-field wall.
Later, Witt hit a two-run double in the fourth inning. This time, the baseball landed in the outfield gap as the Royals took control of the game.
In the sixth inning, Witt stamped the victory with a tape-measure shot. He hit a 421-foot blast to straightaway center as part of his 49th multi-hit effort this season.
“I don’t even know if I get surprised anymore in a sense,” Ragans said. “I mean, I do, but I don’t just because he’s been doing it every day — day in and day out. It’s so fun to watch him do his thing.”
The Royals are looking to end their eight-year postseason drought. Witt has helped resurface the thought of playoff baseball around the city.
This season, the Royals sit at 64-52. The club is four games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first in the AL Central. KC holds a 1.5 game lead over the Red Sox (61-52) for the final AL Wild Card spot.
The Red Sox took two games in the three-game series. However, the Royals made sure to salvage an important victory. When KC needed it, Witt stepped up in a major way, just like most would expect from a star player.
Still, he did so with a certain amount of grace and flair. And, as his teammates put it, Witt showed why the MVP chants and discussion is warranted.
“If you ask me, I think he is the MVP,” Royals outfielder MJ Melendez said. “What he has done is incredible. You know, what he has done for this team and this organization, you can’t really put into words.”
The Royals are okay with running out of words. Witt’s actions on and off the field this season continue to speak loud enough.
