Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Finishes Third In AL MVP Voting

Bobby Witt Jr. remained a major bright spot during an otherwise dismal season for the Kansas City Royals who finished 69-93 overall and missed out on the playoffs for the second-straight year.

The 26-year-old shortstop's stellar performance earned him third place in this year's AL MVP voting, just behind Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros' Yordan Álvarez who unanimously won the award.

Witt Jr. slashed .281/.359/.441 and recorded an impressive .800 OPS through 143 games. He also logged a 6.7 WAR and 24 outs above average, showcasing the impact he had not just offensively, but also in the infield.

However, Witt Jr.'s 33.8% chase rate and 24.8% whiff rate proved to be the dealbreaker given that Álvarez only chased 29% of the time while Caminero owned a low 18.4% strikeout rate.

As consistent as Witt Jr. has been over the years, it can also be argued that the other two candidates simply boasted more compelling resumes. At just 23 years old, Caminero made his second Home Run Derby appearance this year and continued to hit at a similar level after the event, finishing the year with a .276 hitting average, 101 RBI and an .885 OPS.

Meanwhile, Álvarez dragged the struggling Astros to the postseason with an 81-81 record. After battling through a hand fracture from last season, the 29-year-old batted .316 and owned an outstanding 1.033 OPS this year.

Still, Witt Jr.'s ability to hit against both left and right-handed pitchers is worth highlighting. Against lefties, he hit .297 while he slashed .276/.349/.434 versus righties. Having a hitter skilled at seeing the ball in different situations should pay dividends for a Royals team looking to have a bounce-back year next season.

Witt Jr.'s potential for putting up numbers like he did this year would play a role in Kansas City's decision to select him second overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, a move that has clearly panned out. 

Nonetheless, the Royals will need more than another incredible season from Witt Jr. next year. Their bullpen remains a glaring weakness as it recorded a lackluster 5.07 ERA, which ranked 29th in the league. Steven Cruz and Nate Pearson were a couple solid pieces, but others like José Cuas and Lucas Erceg were inconsistent.

The middle to bottom half of Kansas City's lineup is another area that needs to be addressed with guys such as Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins severely underperforming. 

The Royals are right to celebrate the accomplishments of Witt Jr. but their front office can't ride on that high forever.