Are we witnessing the best non-MVP season ever?
Two AL players are having all-time great years, but there is only one award
Will Bobby Witt Jr. Have the Best Non-MVP Season?
Bobby Witt Jr. is unlikely to win the American League MVP Award this year. Let’s get that out of the way first. Despite having an exceptional season – possibly the best in Royals history by certain metrics – there’s no level of overall excellence that can outshine Aaron Judge’s pursuit of 60 home runs and what could be one of the top 10 all-time offensive seasons. Even though Witt is a far better defender (he’s currently the most valuable defensive shortstop) and significantly more impactful on the bases (he’s about to record only the second 30/30 season in Royals history), a player can only do so much when faced with 60 home runs.
This isn’t to say Witt is undeserving – he clearly is. But with multiple great players in the league, only one can win the award. Witt will most likely finish second. Due to the way MVP voting works, where voters can’t indicate by how much they prefer one player over another, it might seem like a landslide if Judge wins unanimously, which could happen. However, this would be misleading. The real perspective should be that Witt isn’t being outplayed by just anyone; it’s taking one of the greatest seasons in baseball history to surpass him.
The more compelling question isn’t, “Will Witt win the 2024 AL MVP Award?” because he probably won’t. It’s, “Will this be the best season ever to not win an MVP?” And another intriguing query: “How many other years would he have won?”
As of Thursday, Witt had 9.6 WAR (according to FanGraphs). He’s projected to finish with around 10.5 WAR by season’s end. Since the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) introduced the modern MVP Award in 1931, it has been awarded 186 times – 93 times per league. Witt may not win this year, but that doesn’t mean his season isn’t worthy of MVP recognition. Let’s assess where he stands in baseball history.
How remarkable is his season? Extremely. If we set aside his defense and baserunning for a moment and focus solely on his offense, with a .339/.393/.611 slash line, Witt ranks as the third-best hitter in the Majors, trailing only Judge and Juan Soto. Yes, even without reaching 50-50, Witt is outperforming Shohei Ohtani at the plate.
However, it’s his combination of elite shortstop defense and baserunning that makes WAR (Wins Above Replacement) favor him so strongly. It’s easy to understand why. With just two more steals, Witt will have the 72nd 30-30 season in MLB history (he already accomplished this feat last year). He’ll be only the seventh player to achieve this while primarily playing shortstop, and not just playing – excelling.
If Witt reaches his projected 10.5 WAR, it will mark “one of the 25 best seasons since the modern MVP Award was established,” yet it still won’t be the best of 2024 – because of, well, Judge.
Will Bobby Witt Jr. Have the Best Non-MVP Season?
Bobby Witt Jr. is unlikely to win the American League MVP Award this year. Let’s get that out of the way first. Despite having an exceptional season – possibly the best in Royals history by certain metrics – there’s no level of overall excellence that can outshine Aaron Judge’s pursuit of 60 home runs and what could be one of the top 10 all-time offensive seasons. Even though Witt is a far better defender (he’s currently the most valuable defensive shortstop) and significantly more impactful on the bases (he’s about to record only the second 30/30 season in Royals history), a player can only do so much when faced with 60 home runs.
This isn’t to say Witt is undeserving – he clearly is. But with multiple great players in the league, only one can win the award. Witt will most likely finish second. Due to the way MVP voting works, where voters can’t indicate by how much they prefer one player over another, it might seem like a landslide if Judge wins unanimously, which could happen. However, this would be misleading. The real perspective should be that Witt isn’t being outplayed by just anyone; it’s taking one of the greatest seasons in baseball history to surpass him.
The more compelling question isn’t, “Will Witt win the 2024 AL MVP Award?” because he probably won’t. It’s, “Will this be the best season ever to not win an MVP?” And another intriguing query: “How many other years would he have won?”
As of Thursday, Witt had 9.6 WAR (according to FanGraphs). He’s projected to finish with around 10.5 WAR by season’s end. Since the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) introduced the modern MVP Award in 1931, it has been awarded 186 times – 93 times per league. Witt may not win this year, but that doesn’t mean his season isn’t worthy of MVP recognition. Let’s assess where he stands in baseball history.
How remarkable is his season? Extremely. If we set aside his defense and baserunning for a moment and focus solely on his offense, with a .339/.393/.611 slash line, Witt ranks as the third-best hitter in the Majors, trailing only Judge and Juan Soto. Yes, even without reaching 50-50, Witt is outperforming Shohei Ohtani at the plate.
However, it’s his combination of elite shortstop defense and baserunning that makes WAR (Wins Above Replacement) favor him so strongly. It’s easy to understand why. With just two more steals, Witt will have the 72nd 30-30 season in MLB history (he already accomplished this feat last year). He’ll be only the seventh player to achieve this while primarily playing shortstop, and not just playing – excelling.
If Witt reaches his projected 10.5 WAR, it will mark “one of the 25 best seasons since the modern MVP Award was established,” yet it still won’t be the best of 2024 – because of, well, Judge.
