Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. makes MLB history

Making his debut in 2022, the 23-year-old slashed .254/.294/.428 with 57 extra-base hits (XBH), 80 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 150 games while getting used to the competition at the major league level.

He has followed that up with another great campaign in 2023, Witt Jr. Is currently batting .270 with 46 XBH, 66 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 109 games this season. 

Another area he has improved is his defense. After committing 19 errors in his rookie year Witt Jr. has followed that up with only seven so far this season.

His 12.8 DEF rating is fifth out of all shortstops, compared to his -3.5 DEF rating he had in his rookie year, which ranked as one of the worst in the MLB.

With the Royals currently 36-75, Witt Jr. has been one of the few bright spots on the team. He has helped fuel their recent stretch of baseball that has them as the hottest team in the American League, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. 

The shortstop looks like the new face of the franchise and the player the Royals will build around for the future and with 51 games left on the season, Witt Jr. has plenty of time to add to the All-Star-caliber numbers he has put up in the 2023 season.