Kansas City Royals Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to Participate in MLB Home Run Derby

Bobby Witt Jr. was named an All-Star for the first time in his career on Sunday, and now the Kansas City Royals shortstop has joined the field for the Home Run Derby.

Jul 7, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) gestures on a three run home run in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off earning his first career All-Star nod, Bobby Witt Jr. locked in some more time in the spotlight in Arlington next week.

The Kansas City Royals shortstop announced Monday that he would be participating in the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby. He is the fourth player to enter the field, joining New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the remaining four participants will be announced in the coming days.

See you all in Texas.. #HRDerby ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/7KmxIZaEks

— Bobby Witt Jr (@BwittJr) July 8, 2024

Witt is currently batting .324 with 15 home runs, 61 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .936 OPS and a 5.1 WAR on the season. He leads the American League in hits, doubles and game played while ranking second in batting average, third in WAR and fourth in slugging percentage.

It has been a breakout season for Witt, who already showed flashes of stardom the last two seasons. He finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, then placed seventh in AL MVP voting in 2023.

The Royals selected Witt No. 2 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, and he has certainly lived up to that hype so far. Witt is averaging 181 hits, 26 home runs, 96 RBI and 41 stolen bases per 162 games in his MLB career, and he is a leading contender to win AL MVP this fall.

Witt, a 24-year-old Texas native, was already set to return to the Lone Star State for the Midsummer Classic. Now, he has added the Home Run Derby to his itinerary, hoping to show off the power he honed just 15 miles north of Globe Life Field.

No Royals player has ever won MLB's Home Run Derby. Bo Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Salvador Pérez and Mike Moustakas have all taken part in the event, but none of them were even finalists.

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