Royals top prospect Witt Jr to start opener at third base

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr., widely considered the best prospect in baseball, has made the Kansas City roster and will start at third base in the Royals’ season opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

The move with the 21-year-old infielder was widely expected, especially after he hit well in spring training. Witt batted .290 with 33 homers and 29 steals across Double-A and Triple-A last season.

The Royals chose to go with Witt at third base, even though his natural position is shortstop, so they could keep Adalberto Mondesi there.

Witt was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 first-year player draft. His father, Bobby Witt Sr., pitched for 16 years in the big leagues with several different franchises.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports