The Kansas City Royals have secured their star player, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., for the long term.
The team officially announced on Monday that Witt and the Royals have inked an impressive 11-year contract extension, making it the largest deal in franchise history.
The present, the future, and the largest contract in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/LpcUGPpzkj
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 5, 2024
The contract’s value is reported to be a staggering $288.7 million.
The deal is a substantial increase over Salvador Perez’s previous record-setting four-year, $82 million contract signed in March 2021.
KC Royals chairman John Sherman declared, “We are extraordinarily proud to announce a historic deal with a very special player.”
Witt’s contract includes a $7.7 million signing bonus and features opt-out clauses after the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th years. According to MLB.com reports, there’s also a three-year club option that could extend the total deal to 14 years, potentially reaching a colossal $377.7 million.
Looking back at Witt’s standout performance in 2023, his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) rose from 4.4 to 5.3. Witt’s offensive dominance was evident with 641 at-bats, accumulating a total of 1232 over his career. In 2023, he recorded 177 hits, including 30 home runs.
Witt’s batting average (BA) in 2023 stood at .276, compared to his career average of .265. He crossed the plate 97 times, bringing his career runs (R) to 179. Notably, Witt swiped 49 bases in 2023 and accumulated a career total of 79 stolen bases.
Analyzing his overall offensive performance, Witt’s on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG) in 2023 were .319 and .495, respectively, with an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .813. This led to an OPS+ of 120 which was 20% above the league average.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s MLB Jouney
Bobby Witt Jr. was a highly regarded prospect leading up to the 2019 MLB draft and was selected by the Kansas City Royals as the second overall pick.
Skipping his commitment to Oklahoma, he signed with the Royals for $7.79 million and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Royals.
Bobby made his MLB debut in 2022.
In his first season, he hit his 20th home run, making him the fifth player in MLB history to join the 20-20 club in their rookie season.
In 2023, Witt represented the United States national baseball team in the World Baseball Classic. He also led the league in stolen bases and became the first Royals player to reach the 30–30 club.
