Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. named American League Player of the Month for July

Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. cemented his July surge with another prestigious award.

On Saturday, Witt was named the American League Player of the Month. He joined Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle as the top players for each league.

“I can’t imagine anyone having a much better month than Bobby, so for him to win that is certainly rewarding for him,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

Witt produced 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). Additionally, Witt became the first MLB player since Lou Gehrig (1930) to have at least 44 hits and a .489 average in any month.

“You just see that and you don’t even have to look at what they’re comparing,” Quatraro said of Witt and Gehrig’s comparable numbers. “It’s like, ‘Wow.’ That’ll smack you in the face a little bit.”

Witt became the first Royal to win AL Player of the Month since Billy Butler did so in September 2009. Witt is also the 12th different Royals player to be recognized with the monthly honor.

The list includes Royals Hall of Famers John Mayberry, George Brett, Willie Wilson, Hal McRae and Mike Sweeney among others.

“He would rather have team goals realized than his own,” Quatraro said of Witt. “So, he’ll downplay that a little bit, but that month was truly remarkable.”

And the month was filled with multiple highlights.

Witt starred in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and the 2024 All-Star Game. He shined on a national stage at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Later, Witt propelled the Royals offense out of the All-Star Break. He was named American League Player of the Week and the Royals Player of the Month.

In that span, Witt hit a go-ahead grand slam against the Chicago White Sox and nearly hit for the cycle against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He also displayed his impressive range with game-ending defensive stops to help the Royals sweep the White Sox.

It was a full showcase of his five-tool portfolio. The Royals were uplifted by his play as they have won 10 of 14 games since the All-Star Break.

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

Witt added another signature honor to his AL MVP candidacy. He is among several names in contention such as New York Yankees duo Aaron Judge and John Soto and Baltimore Orioles standout Gunnar Henderson.

So far this season, Witt leads the MLB in hits, batting average, and multi-hit games. Meanwhile, Witt has a 7.7 fWAR (FanGraph’s Wins Above Replacement) that sits just ahead of Judge (7.4 fWAR).

Witt is currently on pace for a 11.2 fWAR, which would be the fifth best for a player 24 or younger in MLB history.

He also carries a 15-game hitting streak into Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

On Thursday, Witt became the first MLB player to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in each of his first three seasons.

“He’s the MVP,” Royals captain Salvador Perez said recently. “... This year, Junior is unbelievable, you know. We are going to see. Hopefully, he continues that way.”