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KANSAS CITY -- Bobby Witt Jr. has proven himself to be a perennial All-Star with two consecutive appearances so far, blossoming into one of the best players in baseball since his Major League career began in 2022. It’s hard to believe that he hasn’t started one of those two All-Star appearances, instead losing out to Gunnar Henderson in 2024 and Jacob Wilson in ‘25, but that is likely changing this year. “He deserves it,” starter Michael Wacha said. “I know it comes down to a fan vote, but he’s proven it year after year that he’s top of the league at that position. He’s more than deserving of being in that spot when the All-Star Game starts.” Witt is clearly a deserving candidate to be the American League’s starting shortstop at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia on July 14. He’s putting together another great season statistically. He’s one of the stars of the game, especially after suiting up for Team USA as its starting shortstop in the World Baseball Classic, and fans are recognizing all of that by naming Witt one of two finalists for the All-Star starting shortstop spot alongside the Blue Jays’ Andrés Giménez. Phase 2 of the voting opened on Monday and runs through Thursday at 11 a.m. CT. Fans can vote once per day at MLB.com/vote, all 30 team sites, the MLB app or the MLB Ballpark app. |
In Tuesday’s voting update, Witt was leading with 72% of the vote over Giménez (28%). If that holds, Witt would become the third Royals shortstop to start the Midsummer Classic, joining Freddie Patek (1978) and Alcides Escobar (2015). “I just want to say thank you to the fans for just getting me to this spot,” Witt said. “That’s an honor to be in this position. Any time you get an opportunity like that, it’s special. I can’t control it. Just got to keep going out there, play a game, win some games, and see what happens.” While the Royals have struggled in the win column in a frustrating season, Witt continues to put up All-Star numbers. The 26-year-old has posted a .294/.367/.479 slash line so far this season, leads the American League with 28 stolen bases, is tied for second with 20 doubles and has hit 12 homers, including two on Tuesday night to mark his first multi-homer game since Aug. 7, 2024. His 4.5 fWAR leads all AL players and ranks second in MLB behind Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (5.0). Witt entered Tuesday tied with Crow-Armstrong and Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt for the Major League lead with 15 Outs Above Average, which makes Witt the best defensive shortstop in baseball by that metric. Witt has had to manage more aches and pains this season, first knee soreness earlier this month and then recently a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee that kept him out of the lineup for six games last week, which felt like an eternity for a player who wants to play every single day no matter what. But he seems to have avoided the worst and is getting back to playing his style of baseball now. “Just being able to get more comfortable with being myself is the biggest thing, I think,” Witt said. “With how I play the game, just knowing that I can go out there and just do it and see what happens.” |
Witt is hoping he can get the injuries fully behind him and heat up now moving forward. We’ve seen a scorching Witt at the plate before and where it can take the Royals. And if Witt keeps doing what he’s doing, it’ll likely take him to Philly for the All-Star Game. “He’s exceptionally deserving,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “I think that would be a great way for him to get his first start with the fans voting him in.” |
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The Royals held a moment of silence on Tuesday night to honor the victims, their families and the communities affected by last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. All proceeds from the Royals Foundation 50/50 raffle will benefit American Red Cross relief efforts supporting those impacted by the earthquakes. If you weren’t able to make the game and still want to contribute, fans can donate online at royals.com/donate and direct the contribution toward the Venezuela Earthquake Relief Fund. Royals players from Venezuela have written “VZ” on their caps over the past few days to support their families and communities on the field. “It hits hard, especially when you’re here and there’s a lot of people suffering,” starter Luinder Avila said through interpreter Luis Perez after his start on Sunday against the White Sox. “You see it through social media, text messages. Everybody keeps sending me the videos. Thankfully, my family is OK, but we’re just trying to be strong over here and continue to do our jobs.” |
At 35-51, the Royals basically need a miracle to happen for them to play back into contention. Inside the clubhouse, they’re still focused on trying to play winning baseball, and there are still things to glean from 2026 despite the disappointment. Here’s what general manager J.J. Picollo said when I asked him what he and the front office will be looking for in the final three months of the season: “We’re getting looks at guys that we weren’t necessarily expecting to get extended looks,” Picollo said. “We thought we had decent depth in Triple-A, especially with some of the position players who are up, but it’s giving them a great opportunity to see how they fit with us long term. "There are some answers we need to figure out. We want to see continuous improvement with our hitters. With Carter [Jensen] and Jac [Caglianone], we want to see them continue to improve to have a better assessment of where they’ll be to start next year. We have confidence in them. I think it’s the same things you continually look to determine whether or not this is what we need in the future.” |
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