KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. is one of nine shortstops announced Thursday as a finalist for 2023 All-MLB Team honors.
Since the awards’ inception in 2019, catcher Salvador Perez is the only Royals player ever selected to the first or second teams.
Witt hopes to join that list after becoming the first player in franchise history with a 30-30 season. He socked 30 home runs and stole 49 bases in his second big-league campaign.
Witt, who was announced Wednesday as the Royals’ Les Milgram Player of the Year, is also a finalist for the AL Silver Slugger Award.
He led the majors with 11 triples and finished among the AL leaders in hits, stolen bases, total bases, RBIs, extra-base hits, runs scored, batting average and slugging percentage.
Witt also played rock-solid defense.
He is one of only seven Kansas City players nominated in the All-MLB Team’s five-season history.
Witt also was a finalist last season, making him one of only three Royals nominated multiple times. He, Perez and Whit Merrifield have all been nominated a club-record two times.
A fan vote — which started Thursday and continues through 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19 — and media-panel vote will determine the All-MLB Team winners.
Perez was a first-team All-MLB pick at catcher in 2020 and 2021.
The 2023 winners will be announced Dec. 16.
Atlanta’s Orlando Arcia, Toronto’s Bo Bichette, Seattle’s J.P. Crawford, Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson, Texas’ Corey Seager and Philadelphia’s Trea Turner are the other shortstop finalists along with Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs.
ALL-TIME ROYALS ALL-MLB FINALISTS
* denotes Royals selected as All-MLB
2019 nominees — 2B Whit Merrifield, DH Jorge Soler
2020 nominees — RHP Greg Holland, C Salvador Perez*
2021 nominees — SS Nicky Lopez, 2B Whit Merrifield, C Salvador Perez*
2022 nominees — RHP Scott Barlow, SS Bobby Witt Jr.
2023 nominees — SS Bobby Witt Jr.
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