Bobby Witt Jr. Has Carried the Royals to Their Fast Start

Adding to Witt’s overall value is his astounding play on defense. According to Baseball-Reference, he leads the major leagues in Defensive Wins Above Replacement, or dWAR, with a 0.6 mark. That 96th percentile OAA and 89th Arm Strength is a major added bonus over the ridiculously solid offensive output he’s managed as well.

In Witt, the Royals have a true superstar-type talent on their roster. He is a legitimate contender for the AL MVP Award, especially if he’s able to singlehandedly carry the team to a record that far outperforms pre-season expectations.

Last year, Witt emerged as a true top-tier talent of the game. He led the AL in triples, drove in 96 and finished one stolen base shy of a 30-50 season, which would’ve been just the fourth time in MLB history that feat has ever been achieved.

Early on in the current campaign, it seems that he’s only getting better, which should be a scary thought for the competition. The Royals seem to have made the perfect decision in locking him up long-term, because he’s only just getting started in his reign over the league.

Where Does Witt Rank Amongst Other Shortstops in the League?

You don’t even have to look at the numbers to guess where he’s at compared to his fellow shortstops. Aside from Mookie Betts, there are few who come even close to Witt when it comes to pure talent and the stats to back that up.

When it comes to stats like RBI, Witt currently ranks behind the likes of Jose Caballero, Orlando Arcia and Ezequiel Tovar. It will not take long for him to overtake them on the leaderboards.

Royals Capitalizing On a Wide-Open AL Central

Entering the season, it felt like the Central would come down to the Guardians and Twins with the Tigers as a potential wild card team. Instead, the Twins have struggled mightily and it’s the Royals who have emerged as the top threat to Cleveland.

As of right now, the Royals are being given a 33.6% chance to win the division, which is a heck of a lot higher than it was prior to the season. The Guardians are at 37% and the Twins at 38%, but those numbers are going to change rapidly as the Royals continue their surge towards the top.

What makes the Royals even better is the fact that it’s not only Witt who’s performing on offense. Salvador Perez has a .324 average and 169 OPS+ to begin the year, while Vinnie Pasquantino, MJ Melendez and Nelson Velazquez are also all above league-average.

Getting the likes of Maikel Garcia (.164, .555 OPS, 58 OPS+) and Hunter Renfroe (.176, .583, 67) going will be crucial if Kansas City hopes to continue their ascension. It takes a village, so having as many players clicking at once will be a key to this club’s success.