Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. solidified his place among the top players in Major League Baseball on Thursday evening.
Witt was listed among the 10 best big-leaguers for the 2026 season by MLB Network. He ranked No. 3 for the second year in a row alongside such fellow stars as Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Tarik Skubal.
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Four Royals rank inside the top 100 this year. Maikel Garcia (No. 65), Cole Ragans (No. 89) and Vinnie Pasquantino (No. 93) were also honored.
Witt finished among the best sluggers in the league. He recorded a .295 batting average with 184 hits, 47 doubles, 23 homers and 88 RBIs. He earned his second Silver Slugger Award as a hitter and Platinum Glove defensively.
This season, Witt enters his fifth MLB campaign with the Royals. The organization made a couple of notable offensive upgrades around Witt this offseason, adding Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas.
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With additional protection around him in the lineup, Witt will look for his first American League MVP season in the big leagues. He came close the last two years, finishing second in 2024 and fourth in 2025.
It’s possible he’ll put together his best season yet this year. The Royals are moving in their outfield fences, which should help generate more offense and possibly lead to additional extra-base hits.
Witt thrives hitting the baseball into the power alleys at Kauffman Stadium. So he could see more opportunities to grow his already gaudy numbers. The Royals will no doubt tailor their batting order to optimize his production.
For now, Witt continues to earn his recognition among the top players in the sport.