Bobby Witt Jr. batted leadoff for the Kansas City Royals in their 7-6 victory over the Oakland Athletics during spring training. The move prepares him for a potential similar role with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Witt contributed a single and a home run in the game at Surprise Stadium.
In Surprise, Arizona, the Kansas City Royals secured a 7-6 win over the Oakland Athletics in a spring training contest on Friday. Bobby Witt Jr., entering his fifth Major League season at age 25, hit leadoff for the first time since June 30, 2023. Manager Matt Quatraro placed him at the top of the order to acclimate him to the role ahead of his departure for Team USA's World Baseball Classic camp. Witt, who has earned two All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, a Platinum Glove, and two top-five finishes in American League MVP voting, expressed openness to the position.
"He’s open to it," Quatraro said. "He feels much better about where he is as a hitter now than he did a couple of years ago when we talked about leading off."
In his first at-bat, after a long top of the first inning, Witt took a timeout to catch his breath before lining a hard single. Later, with two runners on base, he homered on a down-and-in slider, driving the ball 346 feet to left-center field for his first spring home run. This performance highlights the Royals' dilemma: maximizing Witt's opportunities with runners on base. "Those are big situations and you want to try to drive in those runs," Witt said.
Through the early spring, Witt is 6-for-13 with a double, triple, a home run, and four RBIs. He has appreciated the quicker ramp-up, playing back-to-back games. "I just feel ready to roll," he noted.
In the same game, reliever Carlos Estévez made his final appearance with the Royals before joining the Dominican Republic for the WBC. His fastballs registered at 85-87 mph, lower than usual, with one at 88.1 mph misclassified as a changeup by Baseball Savant. Estévez attributed it to a lack of adrenaline in spring games and remains unconcerned, feeling physically fine. "Hopefully the adrenaline of those games gets him going a little bit more," Quatraro said.
Meanwhile, third baseman Maikel Garcia, fresh off his first Gold Glove Award last season, continues defensive preparations. During a workout on the Royals' Dick Howser Field, infield coach José Alguacil guided him through drills emphasizing first-step quickness, backhand, and forehand plays at third base. Garcia, who transitioned from shortstop to third upon reaching the Majors due to Witt's presence there, aims for multiple Gold Gloves. "If you win a Gold Glove, you don’t want one, you want two, three, four," he said. Both Witt and Garcia are signed to extensions keeping them with the Royals through at least 2030, bolstering the team's infield.
