Reds HOFer predicts Yankees rising star following Bobby Witt Jr.'s footsteps

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has cemented his position as one of the best players in the MLB and one analyst believes that Anthony Volpe is set to follow a similar route. While Witt Jr. has had a meteoric rise in his first three seasons in the majors, his New York Yankees counterpart is not far behind in numbers.

Speaking on a recent episode of "The Mayor's Office" podcast, Cincinnati Reds HOFer Sean Casey believes that Volpe has what it takes to become an elite player:

"The way Volpe works, and I think that he's understanding the league more and more, I think that's his ultimate goal. I think if he hits .300, he goes to another level as a player," Casey said. "I really believe that. I believe if you're hitting .300, that means you're walking a little bit more, you're getting into better counts, you're hitting with two strikes better. If you're a .300 hitter, there's a lot of other good things that are happening.

"You can hit .330 and do it like Bobby Witt Jr. did it. You know 30 bombs, bunch of doubles, driving in runs, not punching out, putting the ball in play. I think Volpe is trending in that direction of becoming a better hitter.

"The guy loves baseball, he sleeps, eats and breathes baseball and he's always trying to figure out what adjustments he needs to make. I think you can't teach experience in this league, the more you're in the league the more adjustments you can make. I think he's got a shot to hit.300, I really do," he added.

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Bobby Witt Jr. was selected by the Royals in the 2019 MLB draft and went on to make his major league debut with them in 2022. Last season, he had a career year, recording a .332 average with 32 home runs and 109 RBIs. He also made his first All-Star appearance and finished second in the AL MVP voting behind Aaron Juge.

Anthony Volpe started his MLB career with the New York Yankees in 2023 and has shown a lot of growth over the past two years. Like Witt Jr., he is not just a power hitter but also drives in singles and doubles with some impressive base running. While he has not yet reached a .300 average in the MLB, he has shown the potential to achieve it.

Former Royals star names Bobby Witt Jr. the best shortstop in MLB right now

Since making his MLB debut in 2022, Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. has quickly grown into one of the best players in the major leagues. Discussing the best shortstops in the game right now on the "Digging Deep" podcast, former Royals infielder Eric Hosmer said:

"It starts with Bobby Witt Jr. Let's be honest. You can't make a shortstop list without him being number one."

Like Witt Jr., Hosmer started his career with the Royals before going on to play for the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox. Looking at Witt Jr.'s meteoric rise in the majors, Hosmer is full of awe and confidence that the youngster is the best in his position in baseball right now.