Royals Announce 14-Year Contract Agreement with Bobby Witt Jr.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to the largest contract in franchise history with the shortstop. Bobby Witt Jr.a 14-year contract that includes 11 guaranteed years.

To celebrate Kansas City’s commitment to Witt Jr., the Royals will host a press conference tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. CT in the Hall of Fame suites at Kauffman Stadium. Please contact logan jones if you want to attend. Approved media may enter the stadium through Gate A.

“From the moment I was drafted in 2019, the entire Royals organization and the fans have treated me and my family like their own,” said Witt Jr. “This city and this team have felt like home. from day one and it is an honor to have the opportunity to continue representing all of KC. “I am incredibly grateful to the Sherman family and the Royals front office for believing in me, and I promise to do everything in my power to help bring championship baseball back to Kansas City.”

“We are extraordinarily proud to announce a historic agreement with a very special player,” he said. John Sherman, President and CEO of the Kansas City Royals. “Like our fans, I am delighted that this will ensure that Bobby will compete in a Royals uniform for many years to come. “Bobby makes us better and I am grateful for his commitment to our fans, our city and our team.”

“From the day we drafted him, we were confident that Bobby would become one of the brightest stars and greatest talents in our game,” he said. JJ Picello, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Royals. “These last two seasons have been confirmation of that talent and proof that he is an even better teammate. We know he wants to win here for our fans as much as we do.”

Witt Jr., 23, recorded 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases as a rookie in 2022. Last year, he recorded 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases, becoming the first player in Royals history with a 30/30 season. In doing so, he became the seventh player in Major League history to go 30/30 in his age-23 or younger season, and was the second American League shortstop, regardless of age, to go 30/30 in his age-23 or younger season. 30/30, after Alex Rodriguezwho went 40/40 in 1998. Witt Jr.’s second season earned him seventh place in American League Most Valuable Player voting.

Witt Jr.’s combination of home runs (30) and steals (49) last season has been matched only four times in major league history, for Eric Davis (1987), Barry Bonds (1990), mike trout (2012) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023).

No player in Major League history has matched Witt Jr.’s combination of home runs (50) and steals (79) in his first two seasons.

Witt Jr. last season led the Royals in games played (158), hits (177), triples (11), home runs (30), runs batted in (96), stolen bases (49), OPS (.813, min . 150). AB) and races (97). Among American League leaders, he ranked second in stolen bases, third in hits, tied for third in total bases (317), tied for seventh in runs, eighth in extra-base hits (69), and tied for ninth place in batting average (. 276). He also tied Corbin Carroll for the major league lead with 11 triples, which was the most by any Royal since Carlos Beltran He had 12 triples in 2001.

Witt Jr. in 2023 became the sixth American League player in the last 75 years with at least 30 home runs and 10 triples in a season, following joe dimaggio (1950), mickey cloak (1955), jim rice (1977 and 1978), Nomar Garcíaparra (1997) and Curtis Granderson (2011).

On defense, Witt Jr. in 2023 recorded 14 putouts above average, a range-based fielding ability metric presented by statistics transmissionwhich ranked him first among American League shortstops and third among all American League positions, behind only Cleveland’s second baseman. Andres Gimenez (18) and teammate Maikel Garcia (fifteen).