Yankees fans think they’ve found a flaw in MVP candidacy of Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr.
The MVP race in the American League is shaping up to be a two-man competition between the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. and Yankees’ Aaron Judge.
That’s how the oddsmakers see it with less than two months remaining in the season.
Judge, who has the best odds at winning the award, has a slight lead over Witt in Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement (7.8 to 7.6). Both lead the American League in multiple categories.
- Witt: Batting average (.349), runs scored (99), total bases (281)
- Judge: On-base percentage (.456), slugging percentage (.691), home runs (41) and RBIs (104)
Yankees fans think Judge is a slam-dunk pick for MVP, and some have taken to questioning Witt’s case for the award. Specifically, they look at his statistics at Kauffman Stadium and on the road.
At home, Witt is slashing .409/.458/.736 with 62 runs scored, 25 doubles and 12 home runs in 61 games
On the road, Witt is slashing .288/.327/.472 with 37 runs scored, eight doubles and 10 home runs in 55 games
It’s not unusual for a player to have better stats in his home ballpark, and Witt struggled early in the season on the road. But in the Royals’ last 15 away games, he’s batting .388 with three doubles, four home runs and 13 RBIs.
But Yankees fans have jumped on Witt’s splits as a reason why he shouldn’t be the MVP. Worse yet, some have insinuated their is some Astros-level cheating happening at Kauffman Stadium.
Here is a look at what is being said about Witt on social media by Yankees fans and others.
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 10:55 AM.
