Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the stars of Spring Training, as the highly-touted prospect has wowed teammates and observers at the Royals’ camp. As a result, Dayton Moore is “very much open-minded of him being on this team as we break this camp,” the Kansas City general manager told Fantasy Alarm’s Jim Bowden in an interview Tuesday. (MLB.com’s Anne Rogers has a partial transcript.)
“I’m not going to make an advanced decision now, but we’re just going to let the player tell us” with his work, Moore said. “Right now, we don’t have to pick our roster. But the fact that Bobby Witt is still in camp and [manager Mike Matheny] continues to play him, and the most important thing is we all know he’s earned the respect — a young talented player with a lot of hype around him who’s earned the respect of his teammates.”
Since being selected second overall in the 2019 draft, Witt has appeared in only 37 professional games, all with the Royals’ rookie league affiliate in 2019 (.262/.317/.354 in 180 PA). Even after impressing at the Royals’ alternate training site last summer and continuing that performance into the spring, Witt would still be making a big jump in going from rookie ball to the majors at age 20. While the Opening Day lineup might be a bit of a reach, there is certainly an increasing chance that Witt could make his MLB debut before the 2021 season is out.
More from the AL Central…
- Jorge Polanco was removed from Tuesday’s game due to left adductor tightness, but Twins manager Rocco Baldelli thinks Polanco should be removed after “maybe a few days.” Baldelli told MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other reporters that Polanco was initially hurt after an awkward landing on the baseball while trying to field a grounder, and the decision was made to take Polanco out two innings later when he reported some tightness while running out a ground ball. With Andrelton Simmons taking over as Minnesota’s shortstop, Polanco is expected to move from his old shortstop position and get the bulk of playing time at second base.
- Wily Peralta signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in February but hasn’t yet arrived at camp due to visa issues. Unsurprisingly, manager A.J. Hinch told The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters that the delay will cost Peralta a shot at making the Tigers’ Opening Day roster. Since being released by the Royals in July 2019, Peralta hasn’t pitched anywhere apart from an eight-game stint in the Dominican Winter League, so his attempt at reviving his career will now move to Detroit’s minor league camp when he eventually gets to the United States.
- In other AL Central news from earlier today, both the White Sox (link) and Indians (link) have interest in extending some of their top players.
right, the Royals are TOTALLY going to carry Witt to start the year.
Some teams have been promoting young players on “good faith” that they will sign an extension. Teams have noticed how the Padres’ young players, who have been called up immediately, are now signing extensions to play with the team for a long time. The braves have also called up young players and have watched that turn into extensions.
This may be the dawn of a new era for smaller market teams trying to figure out a way to keep players at a discount for longer.
Tatis and Paddack had played AA ball when they were promoted. even Vaughn has experience at the A and A+ levels. Witt hasnt played above the complex rookie level. cmon.
Not to mention he didn’t even hit all that well at Rookie-Ball.
Bringing up Witt with 49 games between rookie ball and spring training would be the biggest mistake to a possible superstar’s development that the Royals could make.
Look how going from 1/2 year of A ball straight to the show ruined the career of Robin Yount.
Let the dude play! It’s the Royals! How can it hurt? If he gets plentiful at bats, it’s the best way to figure out if you’re good enuf!
For every Robin Yount, there’s thousands of guys that don’t pan out.
“It’s the Royals”? How many World Series have the Brewers been to in the last decade?
Witt has to be sent down. He’s a potential max salary candidate one day- the extra year of control could potentially be worth 20 million. Shame! Be nice to watch the players who have earned it break camp.
he’s 20 and hasnt played above rookie ball. this isnt 2019 Vlad Jr. or 2015 Kris Bryant. cmon.
Cmon cmon
Dayton Moore has never used service time as a factor.
Last year Brady Singer started the second game of the season. If he stayed at the alternate site for a week he would’ve lost a year of arbitration. Right or wrong,Dayton Moore doesn’t play service time games. Ever.
Singer – Perfect example! There’s only far and few reasons to ever play the service time game. It’s for the Bryants and harpers of the world and not shiny prospects who make average big leaguers- there’s no benefit to that. Singer, since his last year of college, hasn’t been a risk to be max contract player.
Mike leake was a top 10 pick w reds. He never played in the minors nor was ever at risk of breaking reds bank in arbitration.
This isn’t the NBA…there is no “max contract”
Really ? How much more would have tatis or trout got on open market ? When Harper signed in Phili- did he leave any money on the table or did he get the maximum amount ateam would pay ? How bout scherzer with his some 90 million deferred. Could he have talked the nationals into more money ??
If you are making an average of 30 mil or more per season and are signed into your mid 30s or later – that’s the most you’ll make in baseball. A max contract
Lucrative contracts, yes. But no matter how high the contract may be, none are maximum, because they simply can’t exist in a sport without salary caps.
Unfortunately he’s gonna go back to the minors bec of the arbitration bs.
Why are there so many visa issues with Latin players? Seems this sort of stuff happens way more often than it should.
well i mean there arent going to be visa issues with domestic players.
The Royals may indeed keep Witt. The new owner realizes that while it may cost some money down the road, it’s a way to get some fannies in the seats this year. And Witt (granted, he’s got the pedigree) looks every bit like he belongs. And the new guy seems to be an aggressive thinker.
Of course they’ll be growing pains, but there’s going to be those at whatever level he plays. Know what you learn at AA? How to hit AA pitching. It doesn’t always transfer. Could he flop? Sure he could; guy by the name of Trout flopped at the beginning too. And as I said, Witt’s got dad to help him through it.
It’s for the exact same reason the O’s should keep Adley R.; even more so since he’s 2 years older. And he more than appears to have the requisite maturity. AND he’s already a MLB caliber catcher; the offense can wait.
This “playing for 2024” stuff is wearing thin on fans everywhere. Money almost guaranteed to be made this year is more crucial than money that MIGHT be lost later; some owners are picking that up.
Witt just like Wander Franco will start in the minors because it allows them to manipulate service time. The rules should change to allow young stars play in MLB ASAP.
No, it’s not. It’s simpily not. Whitt has all of 37 professional games played. He hasn’t even reached Low-A ball yet. This man has less than 50 games played at Rookie-Ball.
I don’t think Franco is doing so well.
If the plan is an early carrer extension then its the smart play to start him. Excluding service time, realistically the best move is put him in AAA and give him 20 games to see how he handles it
They need to send Whitt to A-Ball. He has 37 games at Rookie-Ball, and he wasn’t even that good at Rookie-Ball. There’s zero reason to rush Whitt. They need to at least give him a full year of minor league development.
This is a fair point, but it’s not exactly the same because he had a year at the alternative site. Not the same obviously, but just looking at games played doesn’t tell the whole story.
I’m not really that concerned about his performance very much, but 37 games at Rookie-Ball and a season at the alternative training site does not mean he’s big league ready.
Agreed, and I didn’t say it did, but just repeating over and over that he has only 37 games for the Surprise Royals paints an incomplete picture.
We’re getting to the point where we’re accusing teams of service time manipulation for players who barely even have any professional playing time and don’t call them up the moment they take a ST plate appearance. Bobby Whitt Jr. has 37 games played at Rookie-Ball. 37, at the lowest level of professional baseball affiliated with the MLB, and he didn’t even play that well. This isn’t a Kris Bryant situation where he had nearly 300 plate appearances at AAA ball.
Witt Jr starting the season in KC would be the biggest mistake and roster mishap of Dayton’s career. Let’s see how Witt does against AA pitching in games that matter, and over a larger sample size than ~20 ab in the Arizona air. I’m as excited about the kid as any Royals fan but let’s not rush him here.
I’ve argued above that he has more experience than 37 games because of his year facing mostly AAA and AA pitching at the alternative site and that Dayton Moore has never and I don’t believe will ever use service time as a factor (in my opinion to a fault). That said I think it’s unlikely he does come up and the reason is I think Moore will remember that we tried to bring up Mondi and he fell on his face. I think he lets Nicky and/or Hanser Alberto play 2B and maybe even calling up Kyle Isbel to play RF and moving Whit to 2B before we see Witt. He’s coming and likely this year but there’s really no reason to rush him. A few weeks too early is way worse than a few weeks to late.
Let’s just say your an undrafted free agent or looking to come in from overseas. Royals give this kid the green light I know where I’d want sign. Kansas City also took care of their minor leaguers during pandemic. They might be actually doing something smart here just saying.
The Witt thing is funny and typical spring training hype…..
So he impressed the first few weeks of March vs. minor leaguers and veterans readying themselves for the season. So? Two years ago I was told that Nicky Lopez was ready to take MLB by storm.
I love the Royals and Dayton Moore. He’s great at developing talent – currently he’s training a manager that’s had 8 years of major league experience attempting to do the job.
This ST BS will pass and Witt will be somewhere in the minor leagues where he belongs.
Literally no one with the possible exception of Nicky Lopez’s mom thought he would “take mlb by storm.” I loved me some Nicky Lopez but anyone who thought he’d be more than a good on base guy with elite middle infield defense was on crack. He’s a 5th round pick who had been in the minors for four years compared to the #2 pick and #7 or whatever overall prospect in mlb. Not in the same universe.
Witt seems good, but folks, it’s Spring Training. If Witt deserves to make the roster out of ST, then the Brewers need to DFA Josh Hader! 😀
I would start him at AA. The year at the alt-site might have allowed him to skip R, A, A+, but he needs to have in-game reps against real pitchers in the AA/AAA levels.
For Adley, the situation is a little different. The Royals have no one really ahead of Witt at middle infield. The orioles still need to evaluate Sisco/Sevy and trade one of them, from a roster perspective, he should start in AAA.
If they think that Witt can be serviceable and learn something, they can bring him up for the second series and start him against primarily #4 and #5 starters until May 1. If he messes the bed at the plate against even the Carlos Rodons of the world, then send him to Omaha for a couple of months.