Has Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. joined MVP race? ‘He should be at the top of that list’

The Kansas City Royals recognized shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and starting pitcher Brady Singer for their stellar play during the month of July.

Both players received a monthly team award. Witt was named the Royals Player of the Month and Singer was selected as the Pitcher of the Month.

Witt, coming off a historic stretch, may also be in the conversation for a greater award at the end of the season. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Regarding his player of the month selection, Witt was a unanimous choice. He has won the award six times in his career with his previous selection coming in May. Singer has also won the award six times. This is his first monthly selection since the 2022 campaign.

“Bobby, I mean that was a slam dunk, right,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We’re talking about a historic month in the history of the game, not just for the Royals. I think it’s pretty cool that Brady won and I think it’s cool because there could have been any number of pitchers. That goes to how well the team is doing if there is a discussion on who it is going to be.”

Witt posted a .489 batting average in July. He led Major League Baseball with 44 hits, 26 runs and a 1.353 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in the month.

There were plenty of highlight moments. Witt shined during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at the 2024 All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. He finished in second place behind derby winner Teoscar Hernandez.

Witt also recorded three hits in four consecutive games from July 19-22. Later, he capped the month with a go-ahead grand slam against the Chicago White Sox.

The league took notice as well. Witt was named American League Player of the Week for July 15-21 after finishing 9-for-11 with three extra-base hits.

“He is just a game changer every night,” Singer said. “He has been absolutely incredible this year. You talk about the MVP, obviously, I think he should be at the top of that list. He’s huge for our team and is a show to watch every night.”

Witt has entered the AL MVP conversation alongside New York Yankees stars Aaron Judge and Juan Soto and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

There is a lot to like about Witt’s chances. He leads the majors with a 7.8 fWAR, 153 hits, .350 batting average and 93 runs scored.

Witt also hit his 20th home run on Thursday night. He became the first player in MLB history to have at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in three consecutive seasons to begin a career.

“He’s an MVP caliber player and, you know, if he gets better, I don’t know what he is,” Singer said. “He is just incredible to watch every night.”

Singer put together a great month in his own right. He finished 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA in six starts for the Royals. He won each of his final three outings and posted four quality starts to pace the starting rotation.

In the process, Singer became the first Royals starter to have three consecutive starts of at least seven or more innings since Brad Keller in 2019. Additionally, Singer was one of eight MLB pitchers to record at least 35 innings in July.

“It’s super cool,” Singer said of his selection. “The starters and relievers have been doing a good job. So to be named that, is pretty cool.”

The Royals have worked with Singer to improve his pitch arsenal. Singer has seen vast improvement with the introduction of a four-seam fastball and sweeper. Those pitches have paired well with his lethal sinker and slider combination.

“He’s committed to using the other pitches that he’s developed,” Quatraro said. “The four-seamer and the bigger slider. … With him, it’s fastball command, and he has really commanded it.”

The Royals finished 13-10 in July. Witt led the way with a base hit in 22 of the 23 games and Singer paced the pitching staff.

“You don’t really go by months,” Witt said. “You just go by days, and you’ve just got to win the day. Not trying to worry about hits or whatever. Just trying to get on and help the team.”