The marquee stars on each team — the consensus MVP and runner-up in the American League in 2024 — have had little impact on the first two games of the AL Division Series.
The Yankees and the Royals are going to need to receive some contribution from their leading men — Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. — to advance to the ALCS as this series shifts to Kansas City for Game 3 and Game 4 beginning Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
For Witt, the Royals’ exquisite two-way shortstop, this is the first postseason of his three-year MLB career. He went 3-for-9 in the wild-card round against the Orioles, but he came up empty in the first two games in The Bronx with an 0-for-10 showing, including three strikeouts in a 4-2 victory Monday in Game 2.
Instead, the Royals earned the coveted split behind longtime catcher Salvador Perez — the lone player remaining from their 2015 World Series win against the Mets — as well as starting pitcher Cole Ragans and less heralded players such as Maikel Garcia and Garrett Hampson.
