Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of baseball’s best players in 2024. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)
A superstar is waiting as the Phillies head to Kansas City.
Fresh off a National League East series loss to the Braves, Philadelphia will meet the Royals and Bobby Witt Jr. for a three-game interleague set starting Friday. It’ll be the Phillies’ first opportunity to face Witt since his recent jump to stardom.
Witt, a 24-year-old shortstop, has emerged as perhaps the frontrunner for the American League MVP and one of the best players in all of Major League Baseball this season. He’s batting .352 in 127 games and a staggering .404 in 66 home games at Kauffman Stadium in 2024.
Bobby Witt Jr. joins the 25/25 club for the 2nd straight season!
A third-year major leaguer, Witt enjoyed a 30-home run, 30-steal season in 2023, but his production has exploded this year as the Royals (71-56) have positioned themselves to hold an American League wild-card spot in the current standings. Their rising star has a lot to do with that success.
Witt’s 9.1 fWAR is tied with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for tops in the big leagues. He leads the majors in batting average, hits (178) and runs scored (110). The 2024 All-Star has been the all-around engine in Kansas City, providing incredible value at the plate, in the field and on the bases. He’s been one of the most effective and tantalizing players to watch this season, and it appears that it could only be the start of things for such a young breakout hitter.
The Phillies saw Witt for two games at Citizens Bank Park in 2023; he went 2-for-8 with a home run. Even having seen that long ball, Philadelphia is about to encounter another level of Bobby Witt Jr., a force to be reckoned with throughout this series. He’ll have opportunities to do damage against the Phillies’ pitching lined up for Kansas City.
The struggling Taijuan Walker will go Friday, left-hander Ranger Suárez (back) will pitch Saturday in his first start off the injured list and Sunday’s starter will be announced. The Phillies failed to execute with their three best healthy starters pitching in Atlanta, and now the Royals will have a chance to face their weaker arms. One of the best home offenses in baseball, Witt and company will be a dangerous opponent for a Philadelphia club still unable to really find its footing in the second half so far.
An injury update on a member of the Phillies’ 40-man roster:
Infielder Rodolfo Castro, who has been on 40-man roster all year but in minors, is out for the season with a ligament tear in his right thumb suffered this week.
Masters of Albion — Питер Молиньё анонсировал духовного наследника всех своих игр
After 20 years of patience and negotiations, RPG veteran Brian Fargo managed to buy back a lost haul of memorabilia from Fallout, Baldur's Gate, and more: 'It was like a very exciting version of Storage Wars'
Feral Interactive объявили о бета-тесте мультиплеера для Company of Heroes на Android
