Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Named First Team All-MLB for 2026

The Kansas City Royals finished the 2026 regular season at 69-93, placing fifth in the AL Central. They trailed the division champion Cleveland Guardians by 16 games and ended 15 games short of an American League Wild Card position. As usual, Bobby Witt Jr. still gave Kansas City one of baseball’s best seasons on both sides of the ball.

Kansas City selected Witt in the first round with the second overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft. Still one of the game's younger stars at 26, Witt played 143 games for the Royals in 2026, putting together an MVP-finalist year.

The All-MLB selections were presented Wednesday during the fourth annual MLB Awards at The Chelsea, a venue inside The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The broadcast began at 9 p.m. Eastern on MLB Network, and delivered good news for Witt.

Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday night that Witt had been named First Team All-MLB for 2026.

Only regular-season performance counted in the voting, and shortstops from the American League and National League shared one pool of candidates. Fan voting accounted for 50 percent of the results and a baseball media panel determined the other half.

Over his 143 games, Witt posted a .281 batting average, .359 on-base percentage and .441 slugging percentage. He also finished the regular season with 18 home runs and 45 stolen bases across 632 plate appearances.

On defense, Witt recorded 24 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast. The power numbers were a bit down, but the defense, speed, and overall offensive output made him the game’s top shortstop again.

Witt has been on a special run as the First Team shortstop. He received the same selection in 2024 and 2025, giving him three consecutive First Team appearances.

Kansas City ended its season at Kauffman Stadium on September 27, beating Cleveland 3-2 in a game that did not matter for either club, as the Guardians had already clinched the AL Central title.

After an 82-80 finish in 2025, it was a big step back in 2026 for Kansas City. That said, between Witt and a young core that boasts a lot of emerging talent, they could be a force in the AL Central for years to come. The only problem, is that it looks like the same can be said for Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit, who each have talented young players only set to get better, especially if the CBA forces them to add salary.