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Bobby Witt Jr.

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Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt with the Kansas City Royals in 2023
Kansas City Royals – No. 7
Shortstop
Born: (2000-06-14) June 14, 2000 (age 24)
Colleyville, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 7, 2022, for the Kansas City Royals
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.288
Hits538
Home runs82
Runs batted in285
Stolen bases110
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing the  United States
World Baseball Classic
Silver medal – second place 2023 Miami Team
COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championship
Gold medal – first place 2018 Panama Team

Robert Andrew Witt Jr. (born June 14, 2000) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Royals selected him second overall in the 2019 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2022. Witt was named to his first All-Star Game in 2024.

Witt is the only shortstop in MLB history to have achieved two 30–30 seasons (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases), having done so in 2023 and 2024.[1]

Amateur career

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Witt attended Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas.[2] As a junior in 2018, he batted .446 with ten home runs.[3] That summer, he won the High School Home Run Derby at Nationals Park.[4] Later in the summer, he also played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field where he hit a home run[5] and was named team MVP[6] as well as the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park.[7] In December, he played for Team USA in Panama City during the 2018 COPABE Pan-American Championships, helping Team USA win a gold medal.[8] In 2019, his senior year, he was named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year after batting .515 with 15 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.[9] He committed to play college baseball at the University of Oklahoma.[10]

Professional career

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Minor leagues

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Witt with the Omaha Storm Chasers in 2021

Witt was considered one of the top prospects for the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[11] He was selected by the Kansas City Royals with the second overall pick.[12] Forgoing his commitment to Oklahoma, he signed with the Royals for $7.79 million and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Royals.[13] Over 37 games, he batted .262/.317/.354 with one home run, 27 RBIs, and nine stolen bases in 10 attempts.[14]

Witt did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Double-A Central.[16] In June, he was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field.[17] After batting .292/.369/.570 with 16 home runs, fifty RBIs, and 14 stolen bases over sixty games, he was promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Triple-A East.[18] Over 62 games with Omaha, Witt slashed .285/.352/.581 with 17 home runs, 46 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases.[19] He was awarded both the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award and the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award.[20][21]

Witt in 2022

Kansas City Royals

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Witt began practicing at third base during the 2022 spring training.[22] On April 5, 2022, the Royals announced that Witt had made the Opening Day roster.[23] He made his MLB debut on Opening Day on April 7 as the Royals' starting third baseman.[24] Witt hit his first major league home run on May 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals.[25] In a game against the Detroit Tigers on September 3, he hit his 20th home run of the season, making him the fifth player in MLB history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in their first season.[26]

In 2022, he batted .254/.294/.428 in 591 at bats, with 80 RBIs, 6 triples (4th in the AL), 20 home runs, 82 runs scored, and 30 steals (4th) in 37 attempts, and was the 10th-youngest player in the AL.[27] He is tied for the fastest sprint speed in the majors with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, at 30.4 feet per second.[28]

Witt played for the United States national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[29] In 2023, Witt batted .276/.319/.495 with 30 home runs, 96 RBIs, and a league-leading 49 stolen bases.[30] He led the major leagues with 11 triples, and became the first player in MLB history to record 30 home runs, 10 triples, and 45 stolen bases in one season. He also became the first Kansas City Royals player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season.[31][32]

On February 5, 2024, Witt signed an 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension with the Royals, the largest contract in franchise history. The contract includes opt-out options after years seven, eight, nine, and ten, as well as a three-year club option following the eleventh season.[33] In 2024, he led the major leagues with a .332 batting average.[34]

Personal life

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Witt's father, Bobby Witt, played parts of 16 seasons as a pitcher in MLB. Bobby Sr. is a player agent with Octagon Baseball and is his son's advisor.[35] He has three older sisters.[36] He has three brothers-in-law who all played in the MLB; Zach Neal, James Russell, and Cody Thomas.[37][38]

Outside of baseball, Witt has an endorsement deal with Whataburger, a San Antonio, Texas-based restaurant which also has several locations in the Kansas City area.[39]

References

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  1. ^ Rogers, Anne (September 17, 2024). "Witt makes history as 1st shortstop with two 30-30 seasons". MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  2. ^ Gosset, Brian (July 10, 2017). "Colleyville Heritage's Bobby Witt makes 18U National team trials". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "From Witt To Witt". Baseball America. July 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  4. ^ Melnick, Kyle (July 17, 2018). "Bobby Witt Jr. wins HS Home Run Derby". MLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Gosset, Brian (July 20, 2018). "Local baseball star shines at Under Armour All-American game". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Gosset, Brian (August 27, 2018). "Local phenom, a potential No. 1 MLB Draft pick, shines in showcase at Globe Life Park". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Fraley, Gerry (September 2, 2018). "How Bobby Witt Jr., son of former Ranger, became the 2019 amateur draft's darling prospect after national showcase tour". Dallas News. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  8. ^ "Potential No. 1 pick in MLB Draft, TCU signee help Team USA bring home gold". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  9. ^ "Texas Rangers legend surprises top high school player, Bobby Witt, with national award". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. May 29, 2019.
  10. ^ "Top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. might not make it to OU". The Oklahoman. June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  11. ^ "2019 PROSPECT WATCH". MLB.com.
  12. ^ "Royals take SS Witt Jr. with second overall pick". MLB.com.
  13. ^ "Bobby Witt Jr., No. 2 overall pick in MLB Draft, signs with Royals for full slot value". The Kansas City Star. June 12, 2019.
  14. ^ "KC Royals: Top prospect rewind, infielder Bobby Witt Jr". December 27, 2019.
  15. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled". MLB.com.
  16. ^ "Royals top prospect headlines Naturals roster". 5newsonline.com. May 3, 2021.
  17. ^ "Futures Game rosters are STACKED". MLB.com.
  18. ^ "Royals promote Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto to AAA". KSHB. July 19, 2021.
  19. ^ "Bobby Baseball: Royals prospect Bobby Witt Jr. named 2021 Minor League Player of the Year". October 4, 2021.
  20. ^ Birch, Tommy. "Royals prospect Bobby Witt Jr. wins Minor League Player of the Year award". USA TODAY.
  21. ^ Collazo, Carlos (October 4, 2021). "Bobby Witt Jr.: 2021 Minor League Player Of The Year". www.baseballamerica.com.
  22. ^ "Witt Jr. keeps wowing as Opening Day nears". MLB.com.
  23. ^ "No. 1 prospect Witt makes KC's Opening Day roster". MLB.com.
  24. ^ "No. 1 prospect Witt debuts vs. Guardians". MLB.com.
  25. ^ "Witt Jr. golfs low pitch for 1st MLB home run". MLB.com.
  26. ^ "Witt joins exclusive club in 'glimpse of what's to come'". MLB.com. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  27. ^ "Bobby Witt Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.
  28. ^ "Statcast Custom Leaderboards". baseballsavant.com.
  29. ^ "Bobby Witt Jr. 'soaking it all in' as Team USA's youngest WBC player". USA Today. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  30. ^ "Major League Leaderboards - 2023 - Batting". FanGraphs Baseball.
  31. ^ Rogers, Anne (September 30, 2023). "Witt becomes first Royal in 30-30 club: 'No one like him'". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  32. ^ Thompson, Jaylon (September 30, 2023). "Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. joins MLB's exclusive 30-30 club: how he did it". Kansas City Star. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  33. ^ "Bobby Witt Jr. contract extension: Royals star signs 11-year deal worth $288.7 million, per report". CBSSports.com. February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  34. ^ "2024 Major League Leaders," Fangraphs.
  35. ^ Morris, Ron (May 22, 2019). "Now An Agent, Bobby Witt Remains On The Players' Side". Baseball America. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  36. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (August 18, 2024). "Bobby Witt Jr. shaped by the women in his family". MLB.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  37. ^ Rogers, Anne (August 24, 202). "Witt Jr. and brother-in-law Zach Neal meet in the Majors". MLB.com. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  38. ^ Thompson, Jaylen (July 14, 2024). "Years in the making: How Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. planned special Home Run Derby experience". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  39. ^ Grathoff, Pete (June 27, 2024). "Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. signs endorsement deal with Whataburger". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

Further reading

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