Bobby Witt Jr. is back in the American League MVP conversation.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Monday that the Royals shortstop is a finalist for the 2026 AL Most Valuable Player Award, putting him alongside Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez and Rays infielder Junior Caminero. It’s the second time in three seasons that Witt has reached the final round, and he remains Kansas City’s only BBWAA Award finalist this year.
The winner will be revealed Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. CT on MLB Network.
Witt’s 2026 season had a little bit of everything. He covered plenty of ground at shortstop, kept pressure on defenses with his speed and still produced enough at the plate to stay among the league’s best all-around players.
Even though he played in 143 games - the fewest of his five Major League seasons - he still piled up 7.0 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. That led the American League and trailed only the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, who finished with 10.6, across all of MLB.
At the plate, Witt led qualified AL shortstops in batting average (.281), slugging percentage (.441) and doubles (33). He also put together 18 home runs, 94 runs scored and 157 hits, while finishing with a .359 on-base percentage and an .800 OPS.
One of the biggest differences in his offensive profile was his approach. Witt drew a career-high 67 walks, topping his previous best of 57 set in 2024. His numbers weren’t as loud as in some earlier seasons, but the added patience helped round out his case.
The power numbers from Alvarez and Caminero were eye-catching - both finished with 42 home runs - but Witt’s defense gave him a different kind of edge. He posted +24 outs above average, the best total among Major League shortstops and third among all fielders.
His +17 fielding run value also matched St. Louis’ Masyn Winn for the top mark at the position.
Witt added another layer with his legs. He stole 45 bases, second in the AL only to Chandler Simpson’s 46, and extended his streak to five straight seasons with at least 30 steals. He also joined a small Royals club, becoming one of just five players in franchise history with multiple 40-steal seasons after previously swiping 49 bags in 2023.
Statcast listed Witt at 30.1 feet per second in sprint speed, a number that put him among the fastest players in the majors.
This is familiar territory for the 26-year-old. Witt finished second to Aaron Judge in AL MVP voting in 2024 and fourth last season, giving him three straight top-five finishes.
In Other News...
Salvador Perez Just Put The Royals In A Tough Spot
Salvador Perezs 2026 season left the Royals with more questions than they probably expected when they locked him up on a two-year extension before the year began. Even with the pride of captaining Team Venezuela to a World Baseball Classic title before the MLB season, Perez never found a steady offensive rhythm in Kansas City, and his production wound up setting career-low marks by the end of the year.
The bigger issue now is what comes next. Perez still caught in 44 games and filled in at other positions the rest of the way, but the Royals are already weighing whether his role needs to change next season as they try to get more value out of one of the franchises most important veterans. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Infields Gold Glove Push Ended In A Brutal Near-Miss
The Royals had a real chance to turn Gold Glove night into a showcase for their infield, with four players landing among the American League finalists. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Nick Loftin all put themselves in position for recognition, a sign that Kansas Citys defense had become one of the more interesting parts of its roster construction.
Instead, the results came back as a clean sweep against them. Witt was trying to extend a two-year run atop his position, but the award went elsewhere, and the same was true for Pasquantino, Massey and Loftin at their spots. For a club that had reason to believe its infield could carry some hardware, it ended up being a brutal near-miss. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Face One Big Winter Decision As Prospect Keeps Rising
The Royals offseason is already starting to take shape in the usual way, with roster questions and prospect buzz sitting side by side. Joel Penfield recently walked through a few possible moves, including a simulated trade for Jake McCarthy and a contract for Randy Arozarena, while also pointing to the bullpen as an area that could use more high-strikeout arms.
Angeibel Gomez is part of what makes the winter conversation more interesting, though, because his Arizona Fall League showing has only added to the sense that Kansas City has another young player pushing his way into the picture. For a club trying to balance immediate upgrades with long-term development, that kind of rise can complicate the decisions ahead in a good way, even if the biggest roster question is still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]