MLB Playoffs: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals looking to make their mark on the postseason

Bobby Witt Jr’s MVP-like performance helped push the Royals back to the postseason.

Kauffman Stadium was built for speed.

Ironically, that wasn’t the intent. When the stadium was constructed for the 1973 season, the team anticipated home runs would go up since the dimensions were actually smaller than their previous home at Municipal Stadium, where hitters had to smack a ball 360 feet down the left field line to get it out. The new ballpark - originally named Royals Stadium - was only 330 feet down the line. But they kept the deep alleys - 385 feet to left- and right-center field.

The deep alleys and springy Astroturf allowed the Royals to flourish in the 1970s and 80s with speedsters and defensive specialists like Amos Otis, Freddie Patek, Willie Wilson, UL Washington, and Frank White. The stadium went to grass in 1995, but the Royals kept flying around the bases. In 2014 and 2015 they used aggressive baserunning to stampede through the playoffs and win two pennants and one championship.

The Royals have long valued speed more than the rest of the league. That usually meant acquiring slap-hitting track stars while the game was moving towards a more power-oriented approach. But when the Royals selected Bobby Witt Jr. as the second-overall pick in the 2019 draft, they finally found a player who is not only faster than anyone in baseball, but also happens to be good at all the other things that make baseball players valuable - making contact, hitting the ball hard, and making spectacular plays on the field.

The baseball star with power AND speed has long been a coveted combo. Shohei Ohtani looked so effortless in reaching the 50 home run/50 stolen base mark that we forget that only 72 times in baseball history has a player even reached the 30/30 mark in a season. Only seven of those seasons were performed by a shortstop, and only one has done it more than once - Bobby Witt Jr.

Witt is perfectly suited for Kauffman Stadium and its deep alleys that turn singles-to-doubles and doubles-to-triples. He led all of baseball in triples last year and was third this year while also finishing second in doubles. His electrifying game-tying triple that set up a walk-off win against the Mariners back in June was a clear example of his speed and power that wowed his teammates and served notice to the league that the Royals were legit.

“It looks like he’s floating,” remarked teammate Garrett Hampson.

“Once he hits second,” observed Royals rookie Nick Loftin, “he somehow keeps getting faster and faster.”

Witt has also used the spacious Kauffman Stadium outfield to “hit ‘em where they ain’t”. He hit a ridiculous .382/.441/.676 at home this year - video game numbers so awesome opposing fans accused him of cheating. No hitter in baseball has hit .380 or better at home in a full season since DJ LeMahieu in 2016 with Colorado, and a non-Rockies hitter hasn’t hit that well at home since Jon Jay of the Cardinals curiously hit .384 at home and .224 on the road in 2012. Since 1969, there have been 49 hitters who have hit .380 or better at home in a full season - 18 of those did so at Coors Field. Most of the other names - Joe Mauer, Chipper Jones, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew, Royals legend George Brett - are in the Hall of Fame, or put up Hall of Fame numbers (Pete Rose, Barry Bonds).

For a player that already does it all on offense, it seems almost unfair that he has become one of the best defensive players in the game. Witt struggled in his rookie season at shortstop with errors both physical and mental. He redoubled his efforts with coach José Alguacil and led all American League shortstops in Outs Above Average last year and is second in the league this year.

While Witt seems tailor-made for Kauffman Stadium, in the playoff format instituted in 2023, the Royals will have to take their act on the road for the entire best-of-three Wild Card round. He has been no slouch on the road - he’s hitting .286/.338/.520 and his 137 wRC+ is 23rd-best among qualified hitters. And playing on the road in a smaller park than Kauffman Stadium has its advantages too. Kansas City’s park is great for hitters - except when it comes to home runs. Had Bobby Witt Jr. played all 162 of his games there, his home run total shrinks from 32 to 28, according to Baseball Savant. But had he played all of his games in Baltimore’s Camden Yards, he would have hit 36 home runs. In Houston’s Minute Maid Park? 38.

Bobby can also take his speed on the road, and in the postseason that can be a huge asset. Royals fans remember the team swiped seven bases in their thrilling Wild Card game win over the Athletics in 2014 (including one from the plodding Billy Butler!) and it was their aggressive baserunning that won them the ALCS over the Blue Jays and the World Series over the Mets in 2015. Speed doesn’t slump, and in a short series, it could be the deciding factor.

The post-season serves as a wonderful platform for rising stars to break through to the next level. Bobby Witt Jr. may not win MVP (Aaron Judge just had to have a historically great season!) but he will likely have one of the greatest seasons ever by a non-MVP. He has carried a team that lost 106 games last year into the playoffs with power, speed, defense, and poise. His mantra “the boys are playing some ball” has become a rallying cry for the team and its fans.

Bobby and the Royals may have to go on the road for the first round, but under the new format, the road Wild Card team has won five of the eight series, including last year’s champion Texas Rangers. If Kansas City can continue that trend and advance to the League Divisional Series, they’ll give Kauffman Stadium its first playoff action since the 2015 World Series. It would be a remarkable step forward for a team that lost 106 games last year, their third 100-loss season since they won it all. And it would give Royals fans a chance to celebrate their young phenom that has brought joy back to Kauffman Stadium.

“That’s what you dream of,” he told reporters after an electric crowd chanted his name following a September win over Minnesota.

“That’s the moment you want to be in.”