Bobby Witt Jr. has enjoyed a breakout season for the Royals, becoming the team’s cornerstone despite the team struggling overall. Witt’s season peaked on Friday, as the shortstop reached an impressive milestone in the final series of the year, against the Yankees.
With a home run in the seventh inning of Kansas City’s 12-5 win, Witt reached 30 home runs, to go along with his previous 49 stolen bases and 10 triples. In doing so, he became the first player in MLB history to produce 30 homers, 45 stolen bases and 10 triples in the same season.
Witt also became the fifth major leaguer ever with 30 homers and 49 stolen bases in a single season.
Bobby Witt Jr. is the first Royals player to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season 👏
— SI MLB (@si_mlb) September 30, 2023
(via @BallySportsKC) pic.twitter.com/gGzDoMRwQK
Witt is the seventh player aged 23 or younger to record a 30/30 season, the sixth player with such a season while playing at least 75% of the time at shortstop and the sixth American Leaguer with 30 homers and 10 stolen bases in a year.
Finally, he is the first Royals player ever to register a 30/30 season.
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of five players in Major League history to record a combination of 30 homers and 49 steals in a season, joining Eric Davis (1987), Barry Bonds (1990), Mike Trout (2012), and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023).
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) September 30, 2023
He's the seventh player to record a 30/30 season in his… pic.twitter.com/PKPxpfht5l
Witt was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 MLB draft, selected after the Orioles picked Adley Rutschman, and the shortstop has lived up to the hype of being a top selection. As he finishes his second full season, Witt already boasts 50 home runs, which ranks fourth among MLB shortstops since the start of 2022, and 79 stolen bases, the most at his position in that span.
With two games left in the season, Witt can join another exclusive club, as he is one stolen base away from the fourth 30/50 season in MLB history.
