As for Pasquantino, he hit 32 home runs, collected 113 RBI, and posted a 116 wRC+ in 682 plate appearances. His HR and RBI totals led all Royals players. He didn’t produce in other categories (i.e., baserunning and defense), which explains why his fWAR was only 1.5 last season (the same as his 2024 mark). Nonetheless, Pasquantino became the slugger the Royals needed at the top of the batting order.
Both will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. It will be interesting to see if the Royals offer one or both of them extensions to keep them cost-controlled in the long term.
6. Witt Remains A Superstar
Last year, Witt finished second in the AL MVP race to Aaron Judge. However, in any other year, the Royals’ shortstop would’ve won it. In 709 plate appearances, he hit 32 home runs, scored 125 runs, collected 109 RBI, stole 31 bases, and posted a wRC+ of 169 and fWAR of 10.5.
This year was a “down” year for Witt, as he likely won’t finish in the top-three for AL MVP (though he certainly could be top-five). That said, he still was incredibly productive and put up “superstar” production despite his “regression.”
In 687 plate appearances, Witt hit 23 home runs, scored 99 runs, collected 88 RBI, stole 38 bases, and posted a wRC+ of 130 and fWAR of 8.0. Like Garcia, he was named a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop and should be a favorite to win the award after netting his first Gold Glove in 2024.
A lot of clubs would take this kind of “down” season from their star player, resulting not just in an 8.0 fWAR campaign, but also in leading the league in hits for a second-straight season.