Bobby Witt Jr. may not have won the Home Run Derby this week, but he still made sure to open the second half of the season with a bang.
The Kansas City Royals shortstop crushed a solo home run to left in the first inning of Friday night’s showdown with the Chicago White Sox. The fastball from Chris Flexen wasn’t even in the strike zone, and Witt sent it 399 feet regardless.
Witt finished the night 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI and a walk, leading the Royals to a 7-1 victory. He is now batting .328 with 17 home runs, 65 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .944 OPS and a 5.6 WAR on the season.
Just since June 30, Witt is batting .471 with a 1.345 OPS, blasting five home runs in his last 13 games.
Bobby Witt Jr. brought his home run swing to the second half. 💪 pic.twitter.com/fsZkPmsMXO
— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2024
The 24-year-old All-Star, who finished runner-up in the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, is now up to 67 home runs for his career.
As noted by TSN’s StatsCentre, Witt’s 67 bombs rank fifth all-time among primary shortstops within their first three MLB seasons. He broke a tie with the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa on Friday, having already passed Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks and longtime Cleveland Guardians standout Francisco Lindor earlier this season.
Next up on the list are Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox and Paul DeJong of the St. Louis Cardinals, who hit 69 and 74 homers in their first three seasons, respectively. At his current pace, Witt is bound to pass both of them this year, leaving him in third.
Former Colorado Rockies All-Star Trevor Story owns the record with 88, while San Diego Padres franchise cornerstone Fernando Tatis Jr. ranked second with 81 before he moved to the outfield.
Most home runs – (Primary) Shortstop within their first 3 career MLB seasons:
88- Trevor Story
81- Fernando Tatis Jr.
74- Paul DeJong
69- Nomar Garciaparra
67- Bobby Witt Jr. (Via hitting 1 in Friday’s 7-1 @Royals win vs CHW)
66- Carlos Correa
65- Ernie Banks
60- Francisco Lindor pic.twitter.com/6SDspnOLZv
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) July 20, 2024
Witt will try to add to his total Saturday night, when the Royals host the White Sox against at 7:10 p.m. ET.
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Publish date : 2024-07-20 11:07:26
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