Assessing Bobby Witt Jr.’s Competition for Rookie of the Year
In case you missed it amidst the March Madness hype, a major piece of news was dropped last night. Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Kansas City Royals third base/shortstop prospect Bobby Witt Jr. has made the team.
Emerging star Bobby Witt Jr. has made the Royals in an amazingly obvious development. Witt’s spring line: .407/.448/.741 (11-for-27) in 10 games; 3 doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI and 1 SB. He along with Adley Rutschman, the top 2 picks in the 2019 draft, are also MLB’s top 2 prospects.
- Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman), 6:12 PM, April 2, 2022
With the Royals' Opening Day taking place on Thursday, April 7, an announcement on Witt's prospect status was bound to arrive not too long away from that. Witt has been one of the best players in all of baseball during spring training and with an everyday third base job waiting for him, it only made sense for him to officially begin the year with the club.
Concerns surrounding service time were brought up near the end of last season, although multiple factors led to that being a relatively moot point. First and foremost, the Royals are an organization known to lean into what's best for their players. They also haven't carried a reputation of being a service time-manipulating franchise. It never seemed to be a realistic possibility that they'd do so now, even for a player of Witt's caliber.
To top it all off, one positive development of the Major League Baseball winter lockout was the Prospect Promotion Incentive in the new CBA. Under new rules, teams can earn a draft pick if their promoted prospect finishes in the top two of league Rookie of the Year voting, top-five in MVP voting, or makes an All-MLB team. It disincentivizes teams from keeping their top prospects in the minor leagues longer than is needed. Witt is ready and as a result, he'll be spending his 2022 with the Royals barring something unforeseen occurring.
This year's rookie class is terrific, and the talent in the American League is borderline ridiculous. While some clubs may miss out on their PPI picks due to not having their top prospects on their rosters for a full year of service time, they still may field legitimate candidates for the league Rookie of the Year award. Witt is the odds-on favorite to win it as of now, but things change quickly in baseball. Let's take a look at three other names to keep an eye on throughout the season.
The top (non-Witt) contender: Spencer Torkelson — 1B, Detroit Tigers
Spencer Torkelson is officially making the Tigers' Opening Day roster, and he'll be the club's primary first baseman. Not only does this signal a shift from the days of Miguel Cabrera manning the corner on a consistent basis (although those days have been numbered anyway), but it ushers in a new era of Detroit baseball. Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft, is a top-five prospect who will be a mainstay in the middle of the Tigers' lineup for years to come.
During his three-year career with the Arizona State Sun Devils, Torkelson made the most of his collegiate baseball experience. After posting a 1.192 OPS in the desert, he remained there for Arizona Fall League action before splitting time between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A last year. Across those three levels, Torkelson posted a .267/.383/.551 line with a .935 OPS. He's one of the best pure hitters among all prospects, and his raw power is legitimate. If he has immediate and lasting success in 2022, Torkelson very well could challenge Witt for the ROY throne.
The hype is mounting: Adley Rutschman — C, Baltimore Orioles
Only one player was selected before Witt back in the 2019 draft: Adley Rutschman. A 1.032 OPS across three years at Oregon State justified that pick, and he's done enough in the minor leagues to maintain his status as a top-two prospect in all of baseball. Last season, splitting time between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, Rutschman hit .285 with a .502 SLG and an OPS of .899. His game has done nothing but remain consistent over time, and his floor as a prospect is insanely high.
As a mature hitter with an advanced feel for the game, Rutschman is patient and decisive at the same time. He's also a terrific defender behind the plate and has clearly plus raw power when in the batter's box, allowing him even more room to come into his own over time. A strained triceps from March will likely slow the Rutschman hype train down for just a bit but nevertheless, it's still mounting. Depending on when he makes it to the bigs, keep an eye on how quickly he adjusts to the leap. He's better suited to do so than just about any prospect in baseball.
Don't sleep on: Julio Rodriguez — OF, Seattle Mariners
Speaking of mature prospects who have an advanced approach at the plate, Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners fits that description to a T. The 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic is enjoying a great spring training slate, and that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. After recovering from a broken wrist and some subpar play in late 2020/early 2021, Rodriguez picked back up and was excellent last year. Between High-A and Double-A, he posted a 1.001 OPS with 19 doubles and 13 home runs in 74 games. He also walked a whopping 43 times.
Rogriguez has future star written all over him. His hit tool is one of the best in the world, his raw power is beginning to show up in a major way and he's turning into a well-rounded baserunner and defender. Like Rutschman, it remains to be seen exactly when he'll be promoted to the Mariners' MLB club. He stands a reasonable chance to break camp with the team but as of the publishing of this article, that hasn't happened. Regardless, Rodriguez's name shouldn't be left out of AL ROY conversations.
Editor's note: On Monday morning, it was reported by Jon Heyman of MLB Network that Rodriguez made the Mariners' roster.
Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.