KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bobby Witt Jr., Michael Wacha and Salvador Perez earn the 2026 Royals team awards, voted on by the Kansas City Chapter of the BBWAA.
Bobby Witt Jr. was voted Les Milgram Player of the Year, an award named in honor of the late Kansas City businessman, community leader and Royals board member.
Right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha was voted Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year, named in honor of the late Kansas City-area sportscaster.
Salvador Perez was voted the Joe Burke Special Achievement Award winner, named in honor of the Royals Hall of Famer, who was the club's General Manager and President during his 20 years with the Royals from 1973-92. The award is given to an unsung player who contributed beyond what was expected or someone voters felt deserved recognition for an outstanding season.
Witt Jr. has won Royals Player of the Year in each of his five seasons in the Majors. He is the first to win Player of the Year in five consecutive seasons. Since the award was established in 1971, Witt Jr.'s five Royals Player of the Year Awards are 2nd most, trailing George Brett, who won the award a club-record eight times.
Witt Jr., 26, slashed .281/.359/.441 (157-for-558) this season with 94 runs, 33 doubles, 18 home runs, 54 RBI, 45 stolen bases and an .800 OPS in 143 games. He ranked among the American League leaders in stolen bases (2nd), doubles (T-6th), hits (9th), runs (9th) and batting average (T-9th) and his 7.0 fWAR ranked 2nd in the Majors, trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong (10.6).
Wacha, 35, went 9-10 with a 3.32 ERA (74 ER in 200.2 IP) in 32 starts, while recording career highs in starts, innings and quality starts (21). He led the American League in both innings and quality starts, becoming the third Royal to lead the AL in both categories, according to Elias, following Bret Saberhagen in 1989 and James Shields in 2013.
Perez, 36, recorded 21 home runs and 78 RBI in a team-high 152 games in 2026, his 15th season in the Majors, all with the Royals. This is the second time he’s won the Joe Burke Special Achievement Award (2022). He also won the Les Milgram Player of the Year Award in 2020 and 2021.
