Bobby Witt Jr. will be honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has long odds for winning the American League Rookie of the Year award. But even if he does fall short of winning the award, Witt had an excellent rookie season.

Witt led all rookies in stolen bases (30), RBIs (80) and extra-base hits (57), while finishing second in doubles (31), triples (six), slugging percentage (.428) and hits (150).

Witt’s 20 home runs were third-most among all rookies.

Witt’s 30th stolen base came late in the season and put him in select company. The Royals said he’s only the third American League rookie ever to finish with 50 extra-base hits and 30 stolen bases.

The others: Ichiro Suzuki (2001 with the Mariners) and Mitchell Page (1977 with the A’s).

Witt is also the fifth rookie in Major League Baseball history to have 30 stolen bases and 20 home runs in his first season. He joins Page, Tommie Agee (1966 with the White Sox), Devon White (1987 with the Angels) and Mike Trout (2012 with the Angels).

That stolen base came against the Guardians in Cleveland on Oct. 3, and it is at the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is honoring Witt.

Jon Shestakofsky, vice president of communications and education for the Baseball Hall of Fame, shared this on Twitter: “The base @BwittJr swiped for his 30th stolen base of the season has arrived @baseballhall. With this steal, he became just the fifth rookie with a 30-steal, 20-homer season. Congrats to Bobby and thanks to the @Royals.”

Witt responded to Shestakofsky to say thank you and note that fellow Royals rookie Vinnie Pasquantino also stole that very base in the same game.

Pasquantino shared this on Twitter in response to Witt’s message.

This story was originally published October 26, 2022 9:58 AM.