Royals Are ‘Confident, Hopeful and Optimistic’ About Bobby Witt Jr. This Season
Major League Baseball remains locked out and while representatives for both the league/owners and players did meet over the weekend, a resolution doesn't appear to be imminent. With that in mind, those expecting to see the Kansas City Royals will continue to have to wait until a new CBA agreement is agreed upon. In the meantime, there may be ample chances to see Bobby Witt Jr.
The Royals' consensus No. 1 prospect — and one of the top prospects in all of baseball — isn't on the club's 40-man roster this year. That isn't an indictment on Witt, though, as the organization simply didn't need to place him on the list due to him already being protected from the Rule 5 Draft. As a result, he remains in Triple-A Omaha and could start his season with the Storm Chasers in early April. When asked about how the MLB lockout impacts players like Witt, Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore explained that getting him on some sort of field is key.
"The one thing that we all know: Competition and opportunity, I believe, is the best developmental tool of a player," Moore told reporters last week. "We've got to make sure that him — and all of our players — are at the right level, competing against the very best competition their peer group has to offer, and challenging them in ways that get them better. I'm confident, hopeful and optimistic that we'll move on in a positive way in the very near future. That's how we have to think, that's what we have to believe. It's a much more beautiful day when we expect good things to happen."
Oct 1, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals minor league shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. receives the Royals Minor League Hitter of the Year Award from general manager J.J. Picollo and president Dayton Moore before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
If the lockout drags on, Witt will remain in Triple-A. A ramp-up period for MLB players would almost surely be required, rendering regular-season baseball in April less and less likely. Witt would ideally be a part of that ramp-up, though, so there's still an off chance that he doesn't play a single game in the minors this year. With that said, it's also far from a certainty that the 21-year-old would've made his MLB debut to begin this season under normal circumstances. When asked about the possibility of Witt making the Royals' Opening Day roster, Moore struck yet another positive tone while still managing to be a bit noncommital.
"As we know, he's very talented and we're going to give him that opportunity," Moore said. "He's continued to do everything necessary to put himself in a position to make our team at some point in time. We're very proud of him, he's exciting to watch. He's a terrific young man. He's somebody we all pull for and we're very, very proud of him."
The emphasis here should be placed on "at some point in time." Whether that's April, May, June or even beyond, the Royals do plan on fielding Witt at the highest level this year. Most of that depends on the lockout, as there isn't much Witt has left to prove in the minor league system. Upon being promoted to Omaha last year, he posted a .285/.352/.581 line with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in just 62 games of action. Sure, he can improve upon that production by a bit, but the Royals have more than just an inkling that he's the real deal.
Make no mistake, there's a lot left to be determined over the next several weeks. Several hoops must be jumped through not only to get Major League Baseball back on track to begin a season, but also for its players to be comfortable doing so. Another step or two must be taken to get Witt to the big-league club and in the everyday lineup. Moore didn't give a ton of answers as to the Royals' plans with Witt, but a holy trinity of confidence, hope and general optimism is one heck of a place to start.
Jul 21, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt (90) leads off from first base against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
