It was immediately obvious even in Bobby Witt Jr.\u2019s rookie season that he had immense talent. The tools were all there: he was fast, he hit the ball hard, he played exceptional defense, and he seemed by all accounts a hard worker and impeccable clubhouse presence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sure enough, Bob emerged from a sort of developmental cocoon in July 2023 to ascend to his final form, a form which he has maintained to this day. Per Fangraphs\u2019 version of Wins Above Replacement, Witt has been the second-most valuable player in baseball<\/a> since then. And just about two years ago, the Royals signed Witt to a gigantic contract extension<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, how\u2019s that extension going?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In one word: great. The extension is going great. In 2024, Witt led the Royals to the playoffs for the first time in nine years and was voted MVP runner-up to Aaron Judge. Last year, Witt came in fourth in MVP voting and won the Platinum Glove award<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a few more words: well, that\u2019s why I\u2019m writing this, right?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To understand Witt\u2019s extension and its implications, it is important to understand how the deal functions<\/a> in the first place. In short, there are three parts to the extension. The first part is guaranteed, where Witt will make $148.7 million through 2030. The second part is a series of player options at $35 million each, which Witt can trigger or decline each year. If he selects them all, the contract will reach $288.7 million through 2034. Finally, the Royals have a $89 million club option for 2035 through 2037, which can bring the contract up to $377 million.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kansas City inked Witt to the deal after his 2023 season, a season in which he put up 5.9 WAR. Since then, Witt has been even better, with last year\u2019s 8.0 WAR season somehow his least productive in the pair since he signed that contract.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Witt has been so good, in fact, that the first part of his extension looks like a steal. Just look at Juan Soto, just about the only other mid-20s baseball player with comparable production to Witt. Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract<\/a>, at an average annual value of $51 million. To secure the same kind of player for $16 million less per year at his most expensive<\/em>? Whew.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n