Will Bobby Witt Jr. break camp with the Royals? National MLB writers weigh in
With a strong performance at spring training, infielder Bobby Witt Jr. has made a name for himself not only in Royals camp but around Major League Baseball.
One of the burning questions around the league is whether the Royals will include Witt on their opening day roster.
General manager Dayton Moore was asked that very question Tuesday by SiriusXM Fantasy Sports.
“He’s come in here and just done a tremendous job,” Moore said. “He’s earned the respect of all his teammates and now that he’s been able to do that, I’m very much open-minded of him being on this team as we break this camp.”
Even if Witt doesn’t make the Royals’ roster when spring training ends, national baseball writers have taken note of his play. Here is a look at what’s being written.
A number of ESPN writers contributed to a story with the headline, “Standout stars, eye-popping home runs and injury comebacks: What we’ve learned from MLB spring training so far”.
This is part of what David Schoenfield wrote about Witt: “Is there a chance he makes the Royals’ Opening Day roster? The No. 2 overall pick in 2019 hasn’t played above rookie ball, so in a normal season I’d say no. But Witt handled himself well at summer camp last year as he has so far in spring training, and it’s not like Nicky Lopez is a big roadblock at second base. It wouldn’t shock me to see Witt open up at second base, just to get him much-needed game action until the minor league season starts. If he plays well, he stays up. If he struggles, they can eventually send him down for more seasoning.”
In the “Scouting Notes 10-Pack” for FanGraphs, Kevin Goldstein mentioned Witt’s great start to the spring.
This is an excerpt of what Goldstein wrote: “When you have teammates tweeting about you, it’s clear that an impression is being made, but it’s also fair to pump the breaks a bit here. ... He’s also only 20 years old and his pro resume begins and ends with 37 games of complex ball. Get excited. Hell, get very excited about Witt, but don’t put too much into his chances of making a big contribution at the big league level in 2021.”
CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson wrote a story with the headline, “How Bobby Witt Jr. is creating a predicament for the Royals with his outstanding spring.”
This is an excerpt: “(W)hen we write that Witt is creating a dilemma for the Royals, we mean by perhaps causing them to wonder where they should start him in the minors.
“Under normal circumstances, the answer would be ‘a level higher than he finished last year.’ There is no ‘last year’ to measure against this spring, at least not in a traditional sense. The pandemic wiping out the minor-league season means that the Royals are in the unusual situation wherein their own observations of Witt’s play (both, last summer at the alternate site and during this spring) will have to serve as their guideposts.”
Jim Bowden, the former Nationals and Reds general manager, wrote a story for the Athletic with the headine, “14 MLB spring training standouts impressing GMs and scouts, from Royal Bobby Witt Jr. to Red Sox Bobby Dalbec.”
This is part of what Bowden wrote: “Witt has advanced pitch recognition, can hit high velocity, and makes consistent (and loud) sweet-spot contact. His swing is simple, and he has an excellent approach. His work ethic and thirst for learning are off the charts. He’s the most exciting player the Royals have had since Hall of Famer George Brett.”
ESPN’s Jeff Passan shared the things he’d like to see this season as a fan and one included Witt starting the season in the majors.
Here is an excerpt: “The son of longtime big league pitcher Bobby Witt, he was the runaway choice of evaluators who were asked which player impressed them most this spring. Even though his minor league experience consists of 37 games in rookie ball, Witt, the evaluators concurred, is absolutely big league-ready right now. The choice isn’t nearly as easy for the Royals. They don’t want to rush a future star, particularly in a year expected to be ascendant but not necessarily playoff-bound.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 9:31 AM.
