Kansas City Royals MVP contender Bobby Witt Jr. wrapped up a stellar July by matching a performance not seen since a legendary New York Yankees player achieved it nearly a century ago.
Witt Jr. earned the American League Player of the Month award for his exceptional play throughout those 31 days. At just 24 years old, Witt Jr. is making a strong case for the AL MVP, and his recent achievements place him alongside Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig.
Yankees’ Lou Gehrig’s historic stat line was rivaled by Royals star Bobby Witt Jr.
According to Brian Murphy of MLB.com, Witt Jr.’s total hits and batting average in July are the first in 94 years.
“The Royals’ superstar recently completed a month unlike any we’ve seen in nearly a century. Murphy noted, “He finished with 44 hits and a.489 average; the last player to match those marks in a calendar month was Lou Gehrig in June 1930.”
Witt Jr.’s month of July puts pressure on Yankees’ Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race
Gehrig was undeniably one of the most exceptional baseball players ever to take the field. Curiously, despite his phenomenal performance in June 1930, where he achieved 55 hits with a remarkable .496 batting average, he neither won the AL MVP award nor earned an All-Star nod that season. Nonetheless, Witt Jr.’s presence in the same elite category as Gehrig highlights the impressive month he had and strengthens his MVP candidacy against Judge.
Judge has been seen as the leading candidate for the AL MVP for much of 2024, having recovered from a well-documented early slump. He has surpassed his superstar Yankees teammate Juan Soto and Witt Jr. in the MVP race, leading the Major Leagues in OPS (1.157), home runs (41), and RBIs (103). However, Witt Jr. is now closely contesting for the award.
The Texas native has equaled Judge in several key statistics, leading the league in batting average (.344), runs (94), and hits (155). If he maintains his current performance, the MVP race might come down to a close decision. For now, Witt Jr. deserves recognition for his outstanding achievements.
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