Royals Superstar 'Should Still Be' Considered For AL MVP, According To Insider
The Kansas City Royals have defied expectations and are having one of the greatest comeback seasons a franchise could have after finishing 2023 with 106 losses.
With one of the best rotations in the game and an offense that has come alive, the Royals are in an excellent spot to make a run at the organization's third World Series pennant this fall.
None of this season's success for Kansas City could've been possible if it weren't for rising star Bobby Witt Jr., who still has a chance to win American League MVP.
"Bobby Witt should still be in MVP conversation despite Aaron Judge dominance," New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday night. "Judge leads MLB in home runs (51), RBIs (126), on-base percentage (.454), slugging (.686) and OPS (1.140), and Witt leads in batting average (.333), runs (120) and hits (195). And as great at Judge is in the clutch, Witt has been even better. Witt leads the AL with a .379 batting average and 1.166 OPS with runners in scoring position, and has a .366/.446/.648 slash line close and late."
Witt is a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop with blazing fast speed around the basepath. When factoring in his defensive and offensive output, combined with the fact that he's on the verge of leading a team that lost 106 games last season to the playoffs, it's fair to say that Judge might not be the AL MVP.
Judge hasn't hit a home run since Aug. 25, marking the longest stretch of his career without logging one. Perhaps if the New York Yankees slugger's slump continues, Witt will be the one hoisting the AL MVP trophy this offseason
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NATE HAGERTY
Nate Hagerty joined "Kansas City Royals On SI" to expand his coverage beyond his work with “St. Louis Cardinals On SI.” Hagerty has been involved in baseball in some capacity since he was seven years old and began a career in sports journalism shortly after graduating from Bridgewater State in 2022. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org