Royals Ascending Superstar Named Favorite For 2025 AL MVP Award Over Aaron Judge
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Life would be much easier for lots of Major League Baseball players if Aaron Judge didn't exist.
Of course, there's the pitchers that have to face the slugger throughout the season. And the division foes that have to fight through his New York Yankees to try and earn a playoff spot. But there are a select few players in the American League for whom Judge is a different kind of roadblock.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. might be the number-one individual affected by Judge's presence in terms of individual achievements. Witt, who put up a Most Valuable Player-caliber season at age 24 last year, finished second behind Judge, the unanimous winner.
Witt has all the tools to eventually win an MVP award, but at the same time, Judge isn't going away anytime soon. However, one MLB writer believes Witt can flip the script on his Big Apple counterpart in 2025.
On Friday, MLB.com's Sarah Langs named Witt, not Judge, as the number-one favorite to take home MVP honors in the site's draft of the top candidates in the junior circuit.
"Witt had an amazing season last year, the kind that would have earned him an MVP in any year other than an equally standout performance from Judge. I took him first in the draft because I fully expect him to do what he did again," Langs wrote.
"Witt is a dynamic player on the bases, at the bat and on the field, and he’s shown us that he has the ability to carry his team. That’s an MVP."
Last season, Witt became the first shortstop in MLB history with two 30-homer, 30-stolen base seasons, and he did it in back-to-back years. He also led the majors with a .332 batting average and 211 hits, all while playing Gold Glove defense at one of the sport's hardest positions.
If Witt simply repeats his 2024 campaign, he'll just need a slight dip from Judge, who has been on a historic offensive pace since the start of the 2022 season. But the Royals star also turns 25 in June, so he's just beginning to enter his prime.
That begs a seemingly ridiculous, but very pertinent question: Will Bobby Witt Jr. be even better moving forward?
More MLB: Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino Praises KC's No. 1 Prospect: 'He's Gonna Be Ridiculous'
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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