The 3 most exciting KC Royals moments of 2023

No. 1: Bobby Witt Jr.'s walk-off grand slam

Was there any doubt that the top moment would involve Bobby Witt Jr.? The Royals' budding superstar could have filled this list by himself, so the challenge was singling out his best moment. Ultimately, it came down to him reaching the 30/30 mark Sept. 29 or his big day against the Twins June 28.

The 30/30 accomplishment is one that will be remembered. Becoming the first Royal to join the exclusive club and cementing his position as one of the game's great young stars is a massive achievement. But throughout his career, he will likely have many moments that are just as good, if not better, than his walk-off grand slam against Minnesota, and nothing the Royals did in 2023 even got close to the euphoria of that big knock.

Witt was already having a nice game when he stepped to the plate against fireballing Twins closer Jhoan Durán in the bottom of the 10th. "Bobby Baseball" tied the game in the sixth with a double off Royals killer Sonny Gray and then extended the lead in the eighth with an RBI single. But after an uncharacteristic blown save by Scott Barlow, the Royals trailed 5-4 when Witt came up to bat with the bases loaded.

Witt was on fire in July, and this was his moment to truly break out. He worked the count full, fighting off Durán's wicked stuff, and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, he turned on a sizzling inside fastball — the swing was a thing of beauty, a true work of art, and the result was a no-doubter. The ball was launched over the wall in left-center, and the crowd erupted. The sound was reminiscent of 2014-2015, even if The K was only half-full. Witt trotted around the bases and was mobbed by his teammates at home plate.

Hopefully, Royals fans will be treated to these kinds of moments more frequently in the near future.

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