Bobby Witt Jr. hit a homer that was a Royals record in the pitch-tracking era

Even Major League Baseball’s official X account couldn’t believe what shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. did Wednesday in the Royals’ 4-1 win over the Twins.

Witt hit a home run off Twins pitcher Louie Varland, which isn’t all that unusual. Witt is an MVP candidate, after all.

It’s where Witt made contact with the ball that was astonishing.

In the third inning, Witt had worked a full count against Varland when he swung at what would have been ball four. Witt crushed the pitch, driving it 398 feet.

Sarah Langs, a researcher for Major League Baseball, said the ball was 4.07 feet off the ground, and it was “the highest pitch hit for a HR by a Royals player under pitch tracking (2008).”

After the game, Royals manager Matt Quatraro was asked about the home run.

“He’s good, you know? I mean, he’s got bat speed, he’s got quickness, he’s got athletic ability, all of the above,” Quatraro said. “We’ve seen him do remarkable things all year. We’re going to continue to see those kinds of things. But I knew that ball was up. I don’t know what that means exactly in the spectrum of how far guys go up to get a ball, but the bat speed and the wherewithal to just be ready to hit that is good, because Varland’s cutter is something you’ve got to honor too.”

Brent Maguire and Anne Rogers noted in a story on the Royals website that Witt’s home run against a pitch 4.07 feet off the ground is tied for the 10th-highest home run in the Statcast era, which began in 2015.

MLB’s official X account shared its reaction, noting “hitting a home run on this pitch is wild.”

The league also shared a clip from the Bally Sports Kansas City broadcast, and Ryan Lefebvre mentioned the location of Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers’ glove. It was above his head.

This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 8:26 AM.