The Baseball Writers Affiliation of America introduced the finalists for the 2024 awards this night. Bobby Witt Jr. was among the many finalists for American League MVP, indicating he completed within the prime three within the balloting. As Matt Eddy of Baseball America factors out (on X), that’ll earn the Royals an additional decide after the primary spherical of the 2025 draft.
The 2022 collective bargaining settlement launched the Prospect Promotion Incentive to dissuade groups from preserving their prime skills within the minors. A group that carries a prime prospect for a full yr of service can obtain a draft selection if that participant finds success early in his profession.
A participant would earn his group a decide for profitable Rookie of the 12 months or ending within the prime three in Cy Younger or MVP voting inside his pre-arbitration years (primarily his first three seasons of service). A group can solely add one PPI choice per participant. In earlier seasons, Julio Rodríguez, Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll have earned their groups a PPI selection by profitable Rookie of the 12 months.
Kansas Metropolis carried Witt, a consensus prime prospect, on the roster for the complete 2022 season. The star shortstop didn’t earn the Rookie of the 12 months decide, ending fourth within the balloting. He as a substitute turns into the primary participant to earn his group an additional choice by way of the highest three MVP placement in his third season. That’s a harder path that’ll presumably occur far much less regularly than the Rookie of the 12 months route. They’ll take all of it the identical.
In February, the Royals signed Witt to an 11-year extension that assured him rather less than $289MM. That didn’t take away from Witt’s eligibility for the Prospect Promotion Incentive although he was now not slated for a wage across the league minimal. He’s more likely to end because the MVP runner-up behind Aaron Choose after racking up a season price round 9 wins above alternative. Witt received the batting title and led the majors with 211 hits. He completed the yr with a .332/.389/.588 slash line with 32 homers and 109 runs batted in whereas taking part in plus protection on the infield’s most demanding place. The Royals received 86 video games to snap a nine-year postseason drought.
That is the one assured PPI choice to this point, however there could possibly be extra as soon as award winners are introduced subsequent week. The Padres and Orioles would stand to achieve an additional decide if Jackson Merrill and Colton Cowser win their respective Rookie of the 12 months awards. Austin Wells can be eligible however is an extended shot to win AL Rookie of the 12 months.
The Pirates can’t get an additional decide for Paul Skenes ending within the prime three in Cy Younger balloting as a result of Pittsburgh didn’t name the star righty up till early Could. They’d not obtain a variety if Skenes wins Rookie of the 12 months for a similar motive. Skenes would earn himself a full yr of service time within the probably occasion that he locations within the prime two in ROY voting, nonetheless.
The opposite Rookie of the 12 months finalists additionally don’t meet the PPI standards. Luis Gil was not on two of the preseason Prime 100 lists at Baseball America, ESPN or MLB Pipeline — the mandatory prospect standing to earn a decide. The Brewers carried Jackson Chourio for a full season however signed him to an eight-year extension final December. Eddy reported in September that gamers who signal an extension earlier than their MLB debuts are not eligible for a PPI choice. Chourio’s extension differs from Witt’s as a result of the latter had already performed in MLB earlier than signing.
