Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Predicted For Major First-Time Accomplishment In 2025
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Bobby Witt Jr. has done almost everything a Major League Baseball player can do by age 25. Almost.
Just about everyone considers Witt to be a top-five player in the sport already, and he had his best season yet as a 24-year-old. But he's yet to win a Most Valuable Player Award, finishing second last season, and his Kansas City Royals have yet to win a World Series.
If either of those things changed in 2025, Royals fans would be happy. Obviously, the World Series is the primary goal, but if Witt takes home MVP honors over reigning champ Aaron Judge and the rest of the talented players in the American League, few would complain.
And to be quite frank, the Royals will only go as far as Witt can take them, so even if he does win MVP, they might not be one of the elite teams in the AL (though one would think they'd at least return to the playoffs).
On Tuesday, insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted that's exactly what Witt will do this season--notch his first career MVP honor.
"Bobby Witt Jr. and Shohei Ohtani are named the MVPs of their respective leagues," Bowden forecasted. "Witt leads Kansas City to an AL Central title, but the Royals are eliminated in the Division Series."
Last season, Witt slashed .332/.388/.589, hitting 32 home runs, stealing 31 bases, and winning a Gold Glove Award. He's the first-ever shortstop with two 30-homer, 30-steal seasons, and he also won the batting title and led the AL in hits in 2024.
What's it going to take to win MVP? Well, Witt pretty much has to run it back, which is easier said than done. His 2024 numbers would have been more than enough to take home the trophy most seasons, but unfortunately, Judge was around.
And Judge is still lurking in 2025, so if Witt somehow has it in him to produce just a little bit more at the plate, it certainly wouldn't hurt.
More MLB: Where Are Royals Predicted To Finish In 2025 MLB Standings By Bleacher Report?
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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