The start of Bobby Witt Jr.'s major league career hasn't exactly gone to plan. Considered the best prospect in baseball heading into the 2022 season, Witt's slow start -- he's slashing .185/.214/.278 with a 40 wRC+ and no homers through the first two weeks -- while not totally surprising, is not far from entering concerning territory. He certainly isn't the first rookie to struggle to adjust to major league pitching, so how seriously should Royals fans take this slump? Talking on 610's The Drive, Royals Insider Josh Vernier preached patience with a player who wont turn 22 until this June.
"You allow Bobby Witt Jr to work out his offensive struggles, at least for the next few weeks," Vernier said. "If this continues for another three weeks, and this kid starts to begin a downward spiral, okay, yeah, then you got to do what you've got to do -- he's got to go find himself down in Omaha. But for the time being, it's not as if that third base is the one spot on this team holding them back. This is a much bigger problem than Bobby Witt Jr. He's been a plus player defensively and on the base paths. I'm not too concerned."
You can listen to Vernier's entire interview in the player below:
