Bobby Witt

Rookies are supposed to struggle, but someone forgot to tell Witt Jr. He crushed the ball throughout the Cactus League and defied the odds to make the Opening Day roster for the Royals. While he did struggle to accept walks, leading to issues in OBP leagues, he also became just the sixth player age 22 or younger to homer at least 20 times and steal at least 30 bases, while also scoring 80 runs and driving in 80, joining the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Ronald Acuna Jr, Cesar Cedeno, Willie Davis and Mike Trout who did that at ages 21 and 22. Many of his age peers were still in A and AA ball while Witt Jr had an above league average OPS despite the low walk total. He has gone from wildcard last winter to a likely first-round selection in standard 5x5 leagues this winter. The OBP penalty may hang around for another season, but he could be peak Hanley Ramirez in a hurry with his bat and legs.

Witt showcased such a tantalizing combination of power and speed at Double-A and Triple-A (33 HR, 29 SB in 123 games) that he has an NFBC ADP inside the top 100 in November and December draft and hold leagues. We still don't know when he will make his MLB debut, but Opening Day is a possibility, as is late April, depending on the new collective bargaining agreement. While Witt, who turns 22 in June, has experience at the alternate training site and in big-league spring training, he had never played minor-league games above rookie ball prior to last season, which makes his exploits in the upper levels all the more impressive. His hit tool was considered his worst tool when he was drafted, and while that may still be the case, his 23.2 K% in the upper levels suggests it won't be a debilitating issue that prevents him from being a counting-stat monster. As a rookie, Witt shouldn't be expected to come close to the .290 average he logged in the minors last season. A .250 or .260 average in his first season is feasible, but the range of realistic outcomes also dips well below that .250 mark.

Despite having never played in a full-season league, Witt's performance at the Royals' alternate training site was promising enough that there is already speculation he could debut in his age-20/21 season. That may be overly optimistic, but when longtime baseball man and Royals GM Dayton Moore says Witt is the "most talented position player he's ever been a part of" and the word "special" gets tossed around with regularity, it's hard to pump the breaks on the building hype. In the months between spring training and summer camp, Witt was scrimmaging against veteran big leaguers in Texas, and he showed an improved approach all summer. He played primarily shortstop, but also got reps at third base, which would probably be his position if he does debut this year. Witt has the tools to go 35/20, so the rave reviews about his improved hit tool should be music to the ears of anyone rostering him in dynasty.

Projecting how much a high schooler will hit in pro ball is probably the toughest aspect of amateur scouting. For instance, if Witt really hits, he will be a star. But we still have no idea if he will hit big-league pitching. He is excellent at everything else. A 6-foot-1 19-year-old from a baseball family, Witt combines plus-plus raw power with plus speed, above-average shortstop defense, a plus arm and excellent intangibles. Even playing half his games in Kansas City, he has the tools to be a 35-25 guy if he hits. In fact, "If He Hits" would be the title of this outlook. The Royals selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft because they think/hope he will hit. His 19.4 K% and 37.4 Oppo% in the AZL were encouraging marks, but his 52.0 GB% was far from ideal. For the eternal optimists: Witt hit .308/.352/.446 with his lone AZL home run over his final 15 games.