Bobby Witt Jr. is still a superstar

Don’t get it twisted; the Royal shortstop is still one of the very best in the game today.

There’s been a lot of talk this year about how Bobby Witt Jr.’s 2024 was a fluke and that he just isn’t a superstar, but only very good. And sure, it seemed at times last year that Bobby could singlehandedly carry the Royals to victory and he hasn’t really done that this year. It’s also true that Bobby Witt Jr. was a favorite for MVP as the season begins and now it seems very unlikely he’ll be able to compete for the honor in any real way.

But what if I told you he’s very likely to finish third?

Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh are running what currently appears to be a two-headed race. Raleigh isn’t actually close to being as valuable as Judge, but because he’s a catcher and currently holds the AL lead in home runs (this and all other stats are from before Saturday’s action) he gets a close look. But Bobby Witt Jr. is somehow quietly turning in a season nearly as good as last year’s.

Witt’s offensive numbers aren’t as good as last year’s, there is no arguing that. But his defense is just as good as ever, if not better. Additionally, his base-stealing ability is returned from its hiatus last season as he’s already robbed 24 bases in only 89 games. And, honestly, his offensive numbers aren’t as bad as you might think.

Through June 14 Bobby Witt Jr. was slashing only .275/.334/.464/.798. Which was only good for a 113 wRC+. Why did I choose June 14? Well, that was the end of a particularly brutal stretch of four games without a hit for the shortstop. The worst Witt ever managed last year was a three-game hitless stretch against the Rangers in Texas.

Since that day, when Bobby indicated the coaching staff helped him identify and correct a mechanical flaw in his swing, he’s been batting .360/.392/.587/.979. That brings his season numbers to .293/.346/.490/.836. Those numbers include the league-lead in doubles with 30 - fully five more than the next closest hitter, Pete Alonso. Hal McRae’s season record of 54 is in serious jeopardy.

Oh and since July started, normally his hottest month, he’s slashing .471/.526/.529/1.055.

It’s easy to feel like Bobby Witt Jr. hasn’t been as good this year because the Royals haven’t been as good. And, sure, the WAR numbers will tell you he’s not quite as good as last season’s 10+ WAR. But he’s currently fourth in AL position player bWAR at 4.0 and third by fWAR at 4.2. He could easily eclipse the 8 WAR mark by both measures, which has historically been plenty to win an MVP award in seasons where guys like Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh aren’t hanging around.

And, honestly, as noted above, Bobby Witt Jr. is only just getting started on what his true end-of-season numbers will look like. If he crushes 10+ home runs in July and/or August (he hit seven and ten in those months last year) he could easily put himself right back in the MVP discussions based on everything else he does so well.

Sure, Bobby had a cold stretch earlier this season unlike any he had last season. And he started off a little colder than any of us would have liked. But don’t kid yourself. Bobby Witt Jr. is still one of the absolute best players on the planet. And that’s not going to change any time soon.