KC Royals star grabs MLB.com's nod as early favorite for another Gold Glove

Bobby Witt Jr. is, by any reasonable measure, having a good season with the Kansas City Royals as the campaign nears its midpoint. After Tuesday night's home series opener against Tampa Bay, the fourth-year shortstop who two winters ago signed the richest contract in franchise history was slashing .282/.339/.484 with 10 homers. 40 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. Although those numbers don't have him on pace to equal the spectacular 2024 performance that led to his first All-Star Game berth and first Silver Slugger, they're still pretty good in anyone's book.

But Witt's prowess at the plate isn't the only reason the Royals pay him what they do. He's also excellent with the glove, a point he proved last season by winning his first Gold Glove as the American League's best defensive shortstop.

And now, it looks like he's headed for a second Gold Glove.

KC Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. tabbed as early defensive award favorite

MLB.com revealed its midseason list of top Gold Glove contenders Tuesday, with Witt making it at American League shortstop. That he's the early favorite at the position isn't shocking — his defensive work is at times eye-popping, he makes difficult plays look routine, and as MLB.com points out, the 14 Outs Above Average he's put up so far is more than any player has at any position, and is only two fewer than the 16 he posted last season.

But that's not all. Per Baseball Savant, Witt's 11 Runs Prevented also leads all big league players. Fangraphs has his 11 Fielding Run Value topping all qualified AL shortstops. And for those who prefer traditional metrics, the four errors he's committed give him a .987 fielding percentage, a mark well above league average.

Witt, then, is once again proving to baseball what Royals fans already know — he's much more than a great hitter, and Kansas City is well-served by its defensively-gifted shortstop. And after the final game of the 2025 World Series brings the curtain down on this big league season, expect Witt to land the second Gold Glove award of his career.