Despite a second-half hot streak, the Kansas City Royals were nowhere near a postseason spot at the end of the regular season, finishing last in the American League Central with a rough 69-93 record.
Amid the MLB playoffs, the Royals announced exciting news involving star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Kansas City Royals Announce Exciting Bobby Witt Jr. News During MLB Postseason
The Royals announced that Witt has been nominated for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been nominated for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award!
Vote for Bobby: MLB.com/aaron
Vote for Bobby: t.co/pTJQ8uyem2
From MLB.com: The Hank Aaron Award is awarded annually to the best overall offensive performer in each league. The award was introduced in 1999 to mark the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. A panel of Hall of Famers combines with a fan vote to determine the winners.
Here are the other American League nominees:
- Baltimore Orioles 1B Pete Alonso
- Houston Astros DH Yordan Alvarez
- Seattle Mariners LF Randy Arozarena
- Tampa Bay Rays 3B Junior Caminero
- Boston Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras
- Tampa Bay Rays 1B Yandy Díaz
- Detroit Tigers LF Riley Greene
- New York Yankees DH/1B Ben Rice
- Chicago White Sox 3B Miguel Vargas
Here are the National League nominees:
- Washington Nationals INF CJ Abrams
- Milwaukee Brewers 1B Jake Bauers
- Chicago Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong
- Cincinnati Reds SS Elly De La Cruz
- Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani
- Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber
- Cincinnati Reds 1B Sal Stewart
- San Diego Padres RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Atlanta Braves 1B Matt Olson
- St. Louis Cardinals RF Jordan Walker
Looking at Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt had an outstanding 2026 season, posting 6.7 bWAR and a .281/.359/.441 slash line with 18 home runs, 54 RBI and 45 stolen bases over 143 games.
Witt represented the Royals in this year’s All-Star Game, marking his third straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.
Witt, 26, made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2022. Kansas City selected him No. 2 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Since making his debut, Witt has accumulated 28.7 bWAR, 123 home runs, 427 RBI and 193 stolen bases.
Kansas City Royals Make Bobby Witt Jr. Announcement Amid MLB Playoffs