The Baseball Writers Association of America unveiled the finalists for the 2024 awards tonight. Bobby Witt Jr. secured a spot among the American League MVP finalists, signifying he placed within the top three in balloting. As Matt Eddy of Baseball America points out (on X), this achievement will grant the Royals an additional draft pick following the first round of the 2025 draft.
The Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI), introduced in the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, aims to discourage teams from retaining top prospects in the minors. If a team carries a highly regarded prospect for a full season of service, they can receive an additional draft pick if that player demonstrates early success in their MLB career.
A player earns his team this pick by winning Rookie of the Year or finishing within the top three in Cy Young or MVP voting during their pre-arbitration years – essentially their first three seasons of service. A team can only receive one PPI selection per player. In previous years, Julio Rodríguez, Gunnar Henderson** , and Corbin Carroll have earned their respective teams a PPI choice by capturing the Rookie of the Year title.
Kansas City kept Witt, widely recognized as a top prospect, on the roster throughout the entire 2022 season. While he didn’t secure the Rookie of the Year award, placing fourth in the voting, he has become the first player to earn his team an extra selection through a top-three MVP placement in his third season. This path is more challenging and less common compared to the Rookie of the Year route, making their achievement even more valuable.
In February, the Royals signed Witt to an 11-year extension worth nearly $289 million. Despite this significant contract, he remained eligible for the Prospect Promotion Incentive as he was still within his initial years of service and earning a salary close to the league minimum. He’s projected to finish as the MVP runner-up behind Aaron Judge** after compiling a season worth approximately nine wins above replacement. Witt won the batting title and led the majors with 211 hits, recording a .332/.389/.588 slash line with 32 homers and 109 RBIs while exhibiting exceptional defense at the infield’s most demanding position. The Royals secured an impressive 86 wins, ending a nine-year postseason drought.
This is currently the only guaranteed PPI selection, but more could arise once award winners are announced next week. The Padres and Orioles stand to gain an extra pick if Jackson Merrill** and **Colton Cowser**, respectively, win their Rookie of the Year awards. Austin Wells is also eligible but faces a less favorable path to claiming AL Rookie of the Year.
The Pirates cannot secure an extra pick for Paul Skenes** finishing among the top three Cy Young vote-getters because Pittsburgh did not call up the star righty until early May. They wouldn’t receive a selection if Skenes wins Rookie of the Year for the same reason. However, Skenes would earn a full year of service time if he places in the top two in ROY voting, which is highly probable.
The other Rookie of the Year finalists also don’t meet the PPI criteria. Luis Gil** was not featured on two preseason Top 100 lists by Baseball America, ESPN or MLB Pipeline – the necessary prospect status to earn a pick. The Brewers carried Jackson Chourio** for a full season but signed him to an eight-year extension last December. Eddy reported in September that players who sign extensions before their MLB debuts are not eligible for a PPI selection. Chourio’s extension differs from Witt’s because the latter had already played in MLB before signing.
