Bobby Witt Jr. can record another historic season for Royals

In 2024, the Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. turned in one of the best seasons in franchise history. He finished second in the American League MVP race behind Aaron Judge.

He led the majors in hits (211) and batting average (.332). He hit at least 30 home runs and stole over 30 bases for the second straight year. His defense has improved in all three seasons in which he's been with the Royals. 

At 24, Witt is undoubtedly one of the brightest young stars in the game, and another season like 2024 will bring him to true superstar status. 

After leading the Royals to their first postseason since 2015, hopes are high for Witt and his team. Can either have the same type of success as last season?

While Witt is still a fantastic talent, it won't be easy to match last season's marks. His high batting average was driven by an extremely high Batting Average on Balls in Play, which was .354. In each of his first two campaigns, his BABIP was .295. His speed does help him in this area; he's produced 57 infield hits in three years, 21 of which came in 2024. 

He seldom hits the ball softly (only 14.7 percent last year), and good things happen when you hit the ball hard. His contact skills are excellent — he struck out only 15 percent of the time — so he's putting the ball in play a lot and making solid contact more often than not. 

Last year, Witt was a run-producing machine. He scored 125 runs by hitting the ball hard, improving his walk rate to 8 percent, and using his speed to produce more doubles and triples. That number seems repeatable as long as the two big bats behind him produce. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez offer protection for Witt.

The only addition the Royals have made this offseason to their offense is Jonathan India, who is slated to bat lead-off. He brings an ability to get on base that was missing from the Kansas City lead-off hitters last year. India sports a career .352 On-Base Percentage, and if he can maintain that level in 2025, Witt might very well be able to build on his 109 RBI from a year ago. 

Witt should be able to replicate his power numbers — 88 extra-base hits. As long as he can maintain his contact and hearing contact levels, there is no reason to think he can't continue to hit for power. 

One area in which he can improve is his base stealing. Even though he has 110 steals over his first three seasons, he's also been caught 34 times, including a league-leading 15 times in 2023 and 12 times in 2024. It may be a matter of getting a better jump, picking his spots better, or maybe even disguising his intent better, but he needs to cut down on how often he gets thrown out stealing. With his speed, he's getting thrown out way too often.  

Expect some regression in his batting average, but there aren't any indications that Witt can't reproduce many of his other stats this season. He still should be considered one of the top offensive players in the AL for years to come.