RADIO
Bobby Witt Jr. 2022 Outlook: Excellent Draft Value, 20-20 Threat
3 years agoWitt Jr. was ranked by Rotoballer as the third-best prospect in the 2019 amateur draft — a very strong draft class — and he's only improved his standing since that time. The young shortstop has made huge strides in his game despite an unconventional development path that saw him open his career in Rookie ball, miss the next year due to COVID-19 restrictions, and then jump immediately to Double-A while skipping over A-ball entirely in 2021. Witt Jr. split last year between Double-A and Triple-A and collectively hit 33 home runs and stole 29 bases in his first full pro season at the age of 21 — good for a 143 wRC+. The young hitter has plus raw power but he doesn't sell out to hit home runs. He uses the whole field effectively and has good opposite-field power. The only real knock on Witt Jr. is that he can be a little too aggressive at times and tries to do too much but that should improve as he continues to mature as a hitter. He has a good shot at opening 2022 as the Royals' starting shortstop and could be a 20-20 (HR-SB) player in his rookie season. With an ADP of 90, he possesses excellent value in that range and could easily outperform other shortstops ranked ahead of him such as Trevor Story and Javier Baez.
