The Kansas City Royals tried something different ahead of Friday’s game against the Athletics at Surprise Stadium.
A new name was penciled into the leadoff spot in KCs batting order. The Royals put star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. atop the lineup in an effort to maximize his at-bats.
“We talked about it earlier in the spring,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters in Surprise, Arizona. “We talked and toyed with the idea of all different lineups. But this, specifically, was to give him a chance (to bat leadoff), because I’m pretty sure he is going to do it with Team USA (in the upcoming World Baseball Classic). Let him do it for a couple of days before he leaves.”
The Royals don’t have an everyday leadoff hitter. In recent years, Quatraro has cycled different players atop the batting order. Guys like Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India and even Carter Jensen have hit in the No. 1 spot.
Witt is no stranger to batting leadoff. He did it earlier in his career with the Royals, but he had perhaps become more comfortable hitting elsewhere in the order.
He has posted a .204 batting average in 47 career games as the Royals’ leadoff hitter. The majority of those at-bats came during the 2023 season — Quatraro’s first as the Royals’ manager.
Witt has seemed to come around to the idea of batting leadoff. Quatraro indicated his All-Star infielder was receptive to such conversations this offseason.
“He knew earlier in the offseason that he was likely to do it for Team USA,” Quatraro said. “He feels much better about where he is as a hitter now then where he was a couple of years ago when we talked about leading off. It’s something he is open to.”
Witt is a dynamic threat whenever he is at the plate. He can change a game with one swing and his speed is well-suited to the role of batting first. The Royals have seen numerous times just how lethal he can be on the base paths.
Witt has stolen at least 30 bases in four consecutive seasons. He’s also led the league in hits across the last two years. He won the American League batting title in 2024 with a .332 average.
The benefit to having Witt in the leadoff spot is that he can set the tempo of the game and give more run-scoring opportunities to such teammates as Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez in the middle of the order.
The Royals on Friday also shuffled Perez into the No. 3 spot, Isaac Collins to cleanup and Pasquantino to fifth in the order. These particular changes were likely just for one game, but spring training gives the team a chance to see how new pieces fit with established ones
The Royals hope to give Witt ample reps before he heads off to the World Baseball Classic (WBC). Team USA enters WBC pool play next week in Houston, where Witt will be joining a star-studded group that also includes the likes of Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber.
How Witt fares during the WBC could influence the Royals’ lineup approach when he returns. Quatraro is known for tailoring lineups based on given matchups, but the superstar shortstop could find himself batting leadoff during the regular season, too, if the right situation arises.
Witt got a trial run as the Royals’ leadoff man Friday, and he was ready for the challenge. No longer is he the young guy looking to find his way in the majors; now he’s a legitimate star and central figure in the organization who could also be a solution to KC’s leadoff conundrum for 2026.
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 1:38 PM.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kansascity.com ’
