Bobby Witt Jr. On Pace for Something No MLB Player Has Ever Accomplished
By Joe Summers
Bobby Witt Jr. is not only surging up the MVP leaderboard thanks to a flaming-hot July, but he's now on pace for statistical output that has never been matched in the history of MLB.
His entire season has been building to this moment, with the Royals holding an AL Wild Card spot entering August and Witt Jr. finding his stride. Make no mistake, his last month was nothing short of spectacular and one of the greatest stretches of baseball anyone with the organization has ever put forth.
In July alone, he's slashing .483/.505/.839 with 12 extra-base hits and 22 RBI to go with his elite defense and baserunning. He now leads the majors in batting average (.347) by a sizable margin, leading Kansas City to a 12-10 mark with one game to go after a losing record in June.
Bobby Witt Jr. is Pacing For a Historic Season
Bobby Witt Jr. is now on pace for:
— Nick Kappel (@NickKappel) July 30, 2024
131 runs
224 hits
89 XBH
113 RBI
34 SB
No player in Major League history has finished a season with those totals.
His clutch plays are so common that it's almost expected he'll deliver a game-winning hit or defensive play when the time comes. There was the go-ahead grand slam and ninth-inning heroics at shortstop on Monday, then his speed around the bases to score the winning run on Tuesday, and that's just in the last 48 hours.
The player Salvador Perez called the best he's ever played with is inspiring the clubhouse with his infectious joy for the game. You can tell this club truly believes it belongs in the postseason.
#Royals Bobby Witt Jr. is batting .335/.380/.590 with 131 runs, 218 hits, 40 doubles, 15 triples, 32 home runs, 114 RBI, and 43 stolen bases over his last 162 games played.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) July 30, 2024
There has never been a player with 40 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs, and 30 stolen bases in a season.
Witt Jr. is currently +650 to win AL MVP at FanDuel Sportsbook, giving him an implied probability of 13.33% to win the award. Aaron Judge of the Yankees is having a monster season in his own right and is likely to win, but that doesn't take away from the franchise-altering campaign the 24-year-old superstar is having.
He's energized a dormant fanbase and made baseball "cool" in Kansas City again. Theoretically, the best is yet to come given his age and the relatively young team around him. Witt Jr. is every bit the savior the Royals hoped for, bringing the organization back into the national spotlight for the first time in nearly a decade.
With two months left to go in the regular season and the team locked into competitive games, Witt Jr. has plenty of time to keep creating exhilarating highlights and adding to his already-blossoming legacy.
I can't wait to see what he's got up his sleeve next.
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