Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Earns Rightful No. 1 Spot On Competitive Preseason List

The shortstop position in Major League Baseball is in the middle of a golden era, and the Kansas City Royals are fortunate enough to own the crown jewel.

Bobby Witt Jr. is a transcendent superstar already, and he's still only 24 years old. He finished second in American League Most Valuable Player Award voting in 2024 and became the first-ever shortstop with two 30-homer, 30-stolen base seasons by accomplishing the feat for a second-straight year.

While most Royals fans would say Witt's name with no hesitation, there's still debate as to who the rightful best shortstop in baseball is these days. MLB Network's "Shredder" algorithm ranked Witt fourth at the position earlier this offseason, though a different panel at the same station ranked him the third-best player in all of baseball.

After the "Shredder" debacle, any and all reinforcements that Witt is, in fact, the best shortstop in the game right now are more than welcome.

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report ranked all prospective starting MLB shortstops from first to 30th, and Witt earned his rightful spot at the top of the list. Joel Reuter explained the site's logic behind ranking Witt in the coveted number-one spot.

"(Witt) hit .332/.389/.588 to win the AL batting title while adding 45 doubles, 11 triples, 32 home runs, 109 RBI, 125 runs scored and 31 steals in a 9.4-WAR season that saw him lead the Royals to an unexpected playoff appearance," Reuter wrote.

"Beyond those gaudy offensive numbers, he has also made significant strides defensively, going from a defensive liability in 2022 (-18 DRS, -8.7 UZR/150) to slightly below average in 2023 (-6 DRS, 0.2 UZR/150) to a legitimate standout in 2024 (2 DRS, 2.3 UZR/150) en route to Gold Glove honors."

Nobody brings the combination of all five tools at any position, let alone shortstop, that Witt does right now. On any given day, he could win the Royals a game with his contact, power, speed, glove, or arm, and that's not something many other teams can confidently say about their shortstops.

Ultimately, preseason rankings fall by the wayside as the season heats up. But in February, they're an exciting debate topic, and for Royals fans who might occasionally feel overlooked by the national baseball discourse, it's encouraging to see Witt get the shine he deserves.

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