Will Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Earn Team USA Starting SS Job Over Gunnar Henderson?
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Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. is in constant competition for the title of "Best Young Shortstop in Major League Baseball."
Witt, 24, finished second in American League Most Valuable Player voting last season, but he didn't start the All-Star Game. That designation went to 23-year-old Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles.
Witt and Henderson also dueled in the playoffs and the Home Run Derby, and the two seem like good friends off the field. But they're constantly being compared to each other, and the upcoming World Baseball Classic could be another measuring stick opportunity.
The last time the WBC was played before the 2023 season, Witt was a bench/utility player for the American squad, coming off an up-and-down rookie season. Henderson wasn't in consideration because he hadn't yet debuted, but he would go on to win Rookie of the Year eight months later.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer predicted that Witt would get the starting nod for Mark DeRosa's Team USA squad in March, but that Henderson would also be in the team's best possible lineup as the third baseman.
"Witt vs. Henderson is one of the great debates of our time, as they're basically mirror images of each other in terms of productivity since 2023," Rymer wrote. "But since Henderson can also play third, we thankfully don't need to choose just one to man the left side of Team USA's starting infield."
In a pool play setup, Witt and Henderson would both likely start games at short, with another third baseman like the Atlanta Braves' Austin Riley mixing in. But if the U.S. is in the championship once again, it's hard to see Witt playing anywhere but the middle of the diamond.
The 2026 WBC kicks off on Mar. 5, with Team USA playing its first game on Mar. 6 at Daikin Park in Houston, Tex.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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