"Bobby Witt Jr. is their Derek Jeter" - Ex-Mets GM raises concerns over Royals' future amid superstar's injury scare
Bobby Witt Jr. has emerged as one of the top players in baseball thanks to his combination of power, speed, and elite defense. At only 24 years old, the sky is the limit for the Kansas City Royals superstar. After managing to finish last season as an American League MVP Award finalist, there are undoubtedly considerable expectations of the shortstop this upcoming campaign.
That being said, there is a chance that his start to the regular season could be slightly delayed. Bobby Witt Jr. was forced out of the Royals' Spring Training matchup against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday after being hit in the forearm with a pitch. Although X-rays came back negative, it's clear that if he is forced to miss any time, it would be a dramatic blow to the Kansas City Royals.
This is something that former New York Mets GM Steve Phillips discussed during an interview on MLB Network Radio. Despite avoiding catastrophic injury, Phillips pointed out that Witt Jr. is the heart of the Kansas City Royals and any extended absence could be a major disaster for the team.
"If he's out for a month and a half or two months of the season, how important he was to their team. The catalyst to their team. The spark plug to their team... He's their Derek Jeter," Phillips said of the impact of the talented shortstop.
Known as The Captain, Derek Jeter was at the heart of the New York Yankees throughout his entire Hall of Fame career. The shortstop was at the forefront of five World Series championships and remains one of the most popular players in the icon franchise's history. This is the effect that Steve Phillips believes Bobby Witt Jr. brings to the Kansas City Royals.
"He's a better player than Jeter was... Whenever the Yankees needed a lead-off hitter to get on, Jeter got on... When they needed a stolen, he got a stolen base. That's Bobby Witt Jr... he always seemed to be that guy coming up in that situation. You take that out of the Royals lineup, they're done," Phillips continued.
Bobby Witt Jr. sits right behind Aaron Judge in AL MVP odds
From one New York Yankees captain to another, if Witt Jr. is going to secure his first AL MVP Award in 2025, he is going to have to dethrone hulking outfielder Aaron Judge. According to the popular sports betting site FanDuel, Bobby sits with the second-best odds in the American League to take home the hardware with +310 odds.
He sits behind only Aaron Judge, who is only at +300. Depending on whether or not Witt Jr. will need to miss any time, it could be another tight battle for the prestigious award, which Judge has won twice in the past three seasons.