The Royals’ shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had an amazing July in MLB history.
In 23 games, he made 100 plate appearances and hit .489/.520/.833, resulting in a 1.353 OPS. He racked up 44 hits, eight doubles, a triple, seven homers, 22 RBIs, and scored 26 runs.
This season, Witt’s stats are .349/.396/.596 with 30 doubles, ten triples, 19 homers, 76 RBIs, and 91 runs. He leads the majors in hits, runs, average and WAR (per Fangraphs).
Witt vs Judge for MVP:
The MVP race is heating up between Witt and Aaron Judge. The Royals have only had one MVP ever—George Brett in 1980—while the Yankees boast the most MVPs in MLB history with 21.
It’s an exciting competition! But let’s focus on Witt because Judge already gets plenty of attention .
Witt was drafted second overall out of high school in the loaded top two of the 2019 draft after Adley Rutschman. He debuted in the majors last year with a .254 average but has improved every year since then.
Fans might think it’s incredible how quickly he’s become an MVP contender.
Witt’s Impressive Growth:
His batting average has climbed from .254 to .276 to .349 over three seasons. His OPS also jumped from .722 to .813 to .992. He’s walking more this season than his rookie year while cutting down his strikeouts significantly—from 21.4% to now just 15.3%!
Defensively too he’s shining brighter; metrics show improvement across various areas like defensive runs saved and defensive WAR.
A Five-Tool Star:
Last season he smashed thirty homers; this year he’s already at nineteen! Stole forty-nine bases last year; currently sitting at twenty-four steals this season—proving himself as a true five-tool superstar!
The Future Looks Bright:
Bobby Witt Jr., still only twenty-four years old (turning twenty-five next June), secured long-term by Kansas City through a $148 million deal till2030—with options extending till2037!
A Legend In Making?
The legendary George Brett remains far ahead but foundations laid could see Witt making similar strides over coming years—perhaps even starting now during this stellar month converting him into not just superstar status but potential legend!
MVP Dream Alive:
The Royals are eyeing playoffs led by their dynamic shortstop aiming for that coveted MVP title against one of baseball’s biggest names from its most famous team… What do you think? Could he win it all?
