Grading the 2024 KC Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. proves he's worth his contract in history-making season

Last offseason, the Kansas City Royals signed Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension — the largest deal in franchise history — effectively locking down the star shortstop for the rest of his MLB career. One season later, that contract is already proving to be worth every cent.

In the 2024 regular season, Witt Jr. posted a career-best line at .332/.389/.588, with 32 home runs and 109 RBI in 636 at-bats. His batting average was the best in MLB, and he recorded the second 30-homer, 30-stolen base season of his career, becoming the first shortstop in MLB history to achieve multiple 30-30 seasons (he also hit the milestone in 2023).

As if the stats weren't enough to brag about, Witt Jr.'s incredible season earned him a list of accolades. He received his first All-Star nod, has been nominated for the Hank Aaron Award and American League Gold Glove, and was just named as a finalist for the Player's Choice Award. When it comes time for AL MVP finalists to be announced, Witt Jr. can almost certainly expect his name to be listed there, as well.

Witt Jr.'s slump during KC Royals' playoff run shouldn't take away from history-making season

In 2024, the Royals bounced back from a 106-loss season the year prior to secure a playoff berth, and Witt Jr. was undeniably crucial to that success. Still, his offensive slump during the postseason was hard to ignore.

Witt Jr. appeared in all six of the Royals' playoff games, but accumulated a batting average of just .192 with five hits in 26 at-bats. Facing the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series, the 24-year-old went 2-for-17 with a batting average of .118, and while he certainly wasn't the only Royal struggling at the plate — Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Pérez both had notably quiet bats, too — Witt Jr.'s lack of production was a major problem.

With the team's big-three hitters failing to put the ball in the air, the Royals had to rely on the bottom of their batting lineup to manufacture runs. While there were brief moments where it looked like unexpected stars could be emerging, overall, it just became extremely obvious how much Kansas City relies on Witt Jr., Pasquantino, and Pérez, and how much the offense suffers when they aren't performing.

Still, Witt Jr.'s postseason slump shouldn't take away from his otherwise spectacular season. He was a giant part of what got the Royals to the playoffs to begin with, and in only the first year of his history-making contract extension, he's already proving exactly how crucial he is to Kansas City. For the 2024 season, Witt Jr. gets a resounding "A."