For the third consecutive year, Bobby Witt Jr. was named shortstop on the All-MLB First Team during Wednesday night’s 2026 MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards from The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
With the honor, Witt became the first shortstop to earn three All-MLB First Team selections since the awards were introduced in 2019.
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The All-MLB Team recognizes the top players at each position across the Major Leagues, with selections based solely on their regular-season performances. Fan voting accounted for 50 percent of the results, while a panel of media members, broadcasters, former players and other baseball officials determined the other half.
Both the First and Second Teams feature one selection at catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop and designated hitter, along with three outfielders regardless of their specific position, five starting pitchers and two relievers.
The ceremony also recognizes the winners of the Hank Aaron Awards, Comeback Players of the Year, Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman Relievers of the Year and Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year.
Witt, 26, earned his third All-Star selection in 2026 and slashed .281/.359/.441 with 18 home runs, 33 doubles, 94 runs scored and 45 stolen bases. He led qualified American League shortstops in batting average, slugging percentage and doubles.
His speed remained one of his biggest assets. Witt's 45 stolen bases were the second most in the AL, trailing only the Rays' Chandler Simpson (46), and marked his fifth consecutive season with at least 30 steals.
Witt also drew a career-high 67 walks, 18 more than in 2025. His on-base percentage rose from .351 last season to .359 in '26, despite a lower batting average.
Witt also appeared in a career-low 143 games, in part because he was placed on the injured list for the first time in his five-year Major League career with lower back tightness in July. Even with the missed time, he accumulated 7.0 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. That total was the highest in the AL and ranked second in the Majors, trailing only the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (10.6).
Defensively, the Texas native also continued to rank among the game’s best, recording 24 outs above average, the most among Major League shortstops and third most among all fielders behind Crow-Armstrong (26) and Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (25). He matched his 2025 total despite appearing in 14 fewer games this season.
His +17 fielding run value also tied the Cardinals' Masyn Winn for the lead among shortstops.
Although his offensive numbers did not reach the heights of his previous two seasons, including his historic 2024 campaign, Witt's all-around production earned him a spot among the three finalists for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. He joined Yordan Alvarez of the Astros and Junior Caminero of the Rays, with the winner set to be announced Thursday at 6 p.m. CT on MLB Network.
The Royals’ other All-MLB nominees were catcher Carter Jensen and outfielder Jac Caglianone.