Witt has gone 4-for-15 with two home runs, a stolen base and four runs scored over five Cactus League games.

EDGE Analysis

As if the 11-year contract extension he signed in February wasn't enough proof, Witt is locked in as the Royals' starting shortstop. The 23-year-old offers both power and speed and should be a fixture at or near the top of the batting order this season. He hit .276 with an .814 OPS, 30 home runs, 49 stolen bases, 96 RBI and 97 runs scored in a similar role in 2023.

Witt signed an 11-year, $288.78 million contract extension with the Royals on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Witt will have the ability to opt out after the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th years of the deal. The contract also contains a three-year, $89 million club option after the 11th season, potentially bringing the total value up to $377.78 million over the life of the deal, which would run through the 2037 campaign. The 23-year-old shortstop is coming off a breakthrough sophomore season in which he slashed .276/.319/.495 with 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases en route to a seventh-place finish in the American League MVP voting.

Witt went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

Witt's 30th home run was a two-run shot in the seventh that closed the scoring for the Royals. Witt is now one stolen base from a landmark milestone as he'd become only the fourth player in major-league history with a 30-50 season, joining Eric Davis (1987), Barry Bonds (1990) and Ronald Acuna (2023). The second-year star is now slashing .275/.317/.493 with 30 homers, 96 RBI, 96 runs and 49 steals over 633 at-bats.

Witt went 0-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Tigers.

EDGE Analysis

Witt's quest for 50 steals this season has him at 49 so far, but he's been caught three times over his last eight games while going hitless in four contests in that span. The shortstop has also struck out seven times in that span after a stretch with just one strikeout in 11 games. In addition to the high-end speed on the basepaths, he's recorded a .273/.315/.487 slash line with 29 home runs, 93 RBI and 94 runs scored over 155 games in his second campaign.

Witt went 2-for-3 with a walk, one RBI, one stolen base and two runs scored in Saturday's 10-8 win over the Astros.

EDGE Analysis

Witt's posted five multi-hit efforts over his last six games, and he's running at just about every chance he gets. He's logged eight steals to go with five RBI and seven runs scored in that span. The shortstop is up to 47 thefts with a .280/.322/.501 slash line, 29 home runs, 90 RBI and 86 runs scored through 145 contests, and he's within striking distance of 50 steals with two weeks left in the season.

Witt went 2-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and two stolen bases in Friday's 4-2 win over the Astros.

EDGE Analysis

His fifth-inning homer off Cristian Javier proved to be the winning run, while Witt stole two bags for the second straight game and the third time in the last five contests. The 23-year-old is having a big finish to his second MLB campaign, slashing .306/.357/.490 through 12 September games, and he's set new career highs across the board with 29 homers, 46 steals, 84 runs and 89 RBI this season.

Witt went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Witt has been hot at the plate and on the basepaths, going 7-for-14 (.500) with five steals over his last four contests. He's converted his last six stolen base attempts without getting caught, putting him at 44-for-54 this season. After a relatively quiet first week in September, Witt has bounced back well. He's slashing .276/.317/.494 with 28 home runs, 88 RBI and 83 runs scored across 143 games overall.

Witt went 3-for-6 with three walks, one RBI, one stolen base and three runs scored across both games of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Witt did most of his damage with a 3-for-3 performance in the matinee game, as he was held hitless in the nightcap. The shortstop has cooled off just a bit in September, going 11-for-42 (.262) over his first 10 games this month. He's at a .275/.317/.494 slash line with 28 home runs, 42 steals, 87 RBI and 83 runs scored through 142 contests for the year.

Witt went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and two steals in Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays.

EDGE Analysis

Witt and Edward Olivares were the only two Royals' hitters with multiple hits on the day. Witt came into Sunday's contest just 3-for-27 over his last six games but did have his second multi-hit effort in eight games this month. His steal total is now up to 41, which is currently tied with CJ Abrams for the fourth-most in baseball. He became just the second Royals' player ever to record 40 stolen bases at just age 23 or younger. Witt's been one of the few bright spots in what's been an otherwise disappointing season for the franchise. He's now slashing .272/.312/.494 with 28 home runs, 86 RBI, 80 runs and a 31:112 BB:K in 613 plate appearances.

Witt is absent from the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

It's a rare day off for Witt, who had started every game since August 7. Maikel Garcia will slide over to cover shortstop for the Royals, while Nick Loftin will handle third base.