Reds HOFer claims $288,000,000 star is third best, behind Aaron Judge & Shohei Ohtani, puts Juan Soto 4th

Reds HOFer claims $288,000,000 star is 3rd best behind Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, puts Juan Soto 4th
Reds HOFer claims $288,000,000 star is third best, behind Aaron Judge & Shohei Ohtani, puts Juan Soto 4th

Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani's monstrous 2024 seasons put them as the best players in the major league right now. But who follows them? Among the many contenders include Juan Soto, who signed a record 15-year, $765 million this offseason, Bobby Witt Jr., who won the batting title in 2024 (.332 BA), and Mookie Betts.

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer and MLB analyst Sean Casey shared a bold take on who's the third best player in the majors after Judge and Ohtani. According to Casey, it's the Kansas City Royals shortstop.

Witt is signed to a 11-year, $288 million contract, which is a far distant number to that of Soto. Nevertheless, Casey believes that Witt has a better case and profile.

"Who would you say the top three players are? Ohtani, Judge, and… take your pick? I would say Bobby Witt Jr. There you go — I like that," Casey said (4:05 onwards).
"Bobby Witt Jr. is an elite shortstop—a Gold Glove shortstop. He’s, what, 23 years old? I know Soto is 26," Casey added. "Witt hits for average, hits for power—he hit .332 last year when no one hits .332 anymore. The guy hit .332!"

Casey finally arrived at the conclusion:

"So, to me, that’s why I still think it’s Judge, Ohtani, Witt, Soto," he said.
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Comparing 2024 season of Juan Soto vs Bobby Witt Jr.

While Sean Casey gave his verdict on who's better between Juan Soto and Bobby Witt Jr. in different hitting parameters, let's compare their 2024 seasons.

At first glance, both Soto and Witt had incredible offensive seasons, but they excelled in different ways.

Batting Average: Witt was better in terms of contact hitting, batting .332, while Soto put up a solid .288.

On-Base Percentage (OBP): Soto’s eye at the plate remains elite, posting an OBP of .419, thanks to his 129 walks — more than double Witt's 57.

Slugging Percentage (SLG) & Power Numbers: Soto slugged .569 with 41 home runs, while Witt had a higher SLG of .588 but hit fewer homers (32). However, Witt made up for it with 45 doubles and 11 triples.

Speed & Base Running: Witt is one of the best base stealers in baseball, swiping 31 bags with 72.1% success rate. Soto, meanwhile, isn't known for speed, stealing just seven bases with a lower success rate (63.6%).

While Juan Soto has more power, Bobby Witt Jr. makes up for it through stolen bases and extra base hits. They are just 26 and 23, respectively, so expect some big things from them in the future.

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Edited by Bhargav
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