Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) at bat against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 26. Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Bobby Witt Jr. Becomes First Player in Last 25 Years of History to Accomplish Rare Feat

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated May 28, 2025 2:39 PM ET

After finishing second in the American League MVP voting last season, Kansas City Royals' star Bobby Witt Jr. is out to quite an encore in 2025.

Per @JayHayKid of Underdog Fantasy, Witt is making history not seen in the last 25 years.

Bobby Witt Jr is the 5th player in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to have 20+ 2B and 20+ SB through the first 56 games of a season, joining Tommy Harper (1970), Paul Molitor (1987), Craig Biggio (1998) & Eric Young Sr. (2000).

Bobby Witt Jr is the 5th player in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to have 20+ 2B and 20+ SB through the first 56 games of a season, joining Tommy Harper (1970), Paul Molitor (1987), Craig Biggio (1998) & Eric Young Sr. (2000).
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) May 28, 2025

The 24-year-old is hitting .289 with five homers, 28 RBIs and the 20 stolen bases entering play on Wednesday. He's carrying a .351 on-base percentage and a 132 OPS+. After leading the Royals to the American League Division Series in 2024, he's got Kansas City battling for the playoffs again.

They enter play on Wednesday at 29-27 and in fourth place in the American League Central. Witt pairs with Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino to make up a formidable big-three in the middle of the order.

The Royals will take on the Cincinnati Reds again on Wednesday night after losing against them on Tuesday. Flamethrowing right-hander Hunter Greene will take the mound for the Reds against young lefty Noah Cameron.

Greene, who has one of the best arms in baseball, is 4-2 on the season with a 2.54 ERA. Cameron, a top prospect, has gone 1-1 with a 0.93 ERA across two different stints in the big leagues.

First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is 7:40 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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