ESPN still thinks very highly of Royals superstar in latest Top 50 player rankings

While the Kansas City Royals continue to struggle to get hot enough to really make noise in the playoff race, it can be easy to forget that the team still has one of the best players in the sport. Bobby Witt Jr. has flown under the radar in 2025, but there are more than a few analysts who believe he's still one of those guys who can carry a team on his back and really shine when crunch time comes around.

It may be because Witt Jr. has been so good that he's not getting talked about enough this year. It's not as though he's really slipped all that far from an eye-popping 2024 campaign. After going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI on Wednesday afternoon, he was slashing .288/.346/.494 heading into their weekend set against the White Sox, and the rest of his numbers are all still good.

The Kansas City Royals' star shortstop is, in fact, doing better in some categories than in 2024, with just eight fewer doubles than all of last season. He's now just one steal away from his season total a year ago. It's been his home runs that have dropped a bit from previous seasons. Though obviously, he could still pick up the pace and get close in the final month or so.

ESPN still thinks very highly of Royals superstar in latest Top 50 player rankings

ESPN's Bradford Doolittle certainly still thinks Bobby Witt Jr. is among the best of the best in Major League Baseball. He recently included Witt on a list of the sport's 50 best players and explained precisely why the Royals' star ranked No. 5 in baseball.

"Few players can match his elite skill set, from bat speed to foot speed to defensive range and arm strength," Doolittle wrote. "If teams had to redraft the majors from scratch, Witt might be the first player off the board. It has all been on full display in 2025."

Doolittle also believes that the Kansas City Royals star will finish the season strong.

"Witt hasn't had one of the extended torrid stretches that he has enjoyed the past two seasons, though he has had some hot streaks, he wrote. "Lately, his plate discipline -- the one remaining weak spot -- has ticked up, which could portend a surge for a player hoping to carry his club back to the playoffs, and one who is uniquely suited for such a project."