Bobby Witt Jr. becomes a repeat AL MVP finalist, earning a second spot in three seasons

Bobby Witt Jr. is back on the American League Most Valuable Player ballot, named a finalist for the 2026 AL MVP Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The Royals star joins Yordan Alvarez of the Astros and Junior Caminero of the Rays as the three finalists, with the winner announced Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. CT on MLB Network.

Witt’s case is rooted in how many ways he affected winning outcomes over a full season. In 2026, he played 143 games, producing 7.0 wins above replacement, a mark that ranked second in MLB and paced the American League ahead of Alvarez (6.8) in the same metric.

At the plate, Witt led qualified AL shortstops in several offensive categories. He posted a.281 batting average,.441 slugging percentage and 33 doubles, while adding 18 home runs, 94 runs scored and 157 hits. His overall line included a.359 on-base percentage and an.800 OPS.

Witt also emphasized patience at the plate, drawing 67 walks, a career high that topped his previous best of 57 in 2024. The result was a more controlled approach even as his production measures compared to his prior MVP-adjacent seasons.

Defensively, Witt’s impact helped round out the MVP argument. The release credited him with +24 outs above average, the most among major league shortstops and third among all fielders, along with a +17 fielding run value that tied St. Louis’ Masyn Winn for the top mark at the position.

On the bases, Witt continued to pressure opponents. He stole 45 bases, second in the AL behind Chandler Simpson’s 46, and extended a streak of at least 30 steals to five consecutive seasons, including a previous 49-steal season in 2023.

This is the second AL MVP finalist nod for Witt in three seasons. He finished second to Aaron Judge in AL MVP voting in 2024 and fourth last season, and if he wins in 2026, he would become only the second player in Royals franchise history to capture MVP honors, following George Brett’s 1980 award.