Major League Baseball

The makings of a superstar: Inside Bobby Witt Jr.'s meteoric rise

Updated Aug. 22, 2024 5:13 p.m. ET

Last Friday in Cincinnati, Bobby Witt Jr. stepped out of the box to gather himself after fouling a pitch off. He took a deep breath, found a focal point on his bat upon which to fixate his gaze, stepped back in and sent the next pitch he saw 430 feet into the second deck at Great American Ball Park.

While there are certain constants that have helped Witt handle the mental and physical rigors of a season, in some ways this version of the Kansas City Royals superstar is brand new.

After tantalizing with his potential as a 22-year-old, he followed up a 20-homer, 30-steal rookie season by transforming himself from one of the worst defensive shortstops to one of the best while posting the first ever 30-homer, 30-steal season in Royals history last season. Entering 2024, there wasn't one specific part of his game he wanted to fix.

Rather, he thought he could enhance every aspect.

And then he did.

"I'm trying to get better at all the things I'm not good at, but I think if you keep getting better as a whole, it'll get you better in all of them," Witt told FOX Sports. "The reality, the more you play, the better you get. The more you're around this game, the better you get. That's what I'm trying to learn every day and enjoy, but also know where I'm at."

Witt has made the leap into the upper echelon of the sport's talents. By FanGraphs' wins above replacement, he has been baseball's most valuable player both this year and since the start of last season.

The MVP contender's game has grown to the point that the 24-year-old could make a strong argument that he's the best all-around position player in baseball — not that he would ever promote himself that way.

"There's an awesome book called 'Ego is the Enemy' by Ryan Holiday, and that book I think epitomizes Bobby," Brian Cain, a mental performance coach who has worked with Witt since high school, said. "Because as good as he's been for as long as he's been — he was touted as the possible 1/1 probably as far back as his freshman year of high school — you'd never get a sense of ego or a sense of entitlement from Bobby Witt Jr."

"One of my favorite memories of Bob is in rookie ball, him literally waiting for all his teammates to finish going through the cafeteria line so he could go last," added Alec Zumwalt, Royals senior director of hitting performance. "That's the type of person he is."

Defensively, Witt has graded out as the best shortstop in baseball by outs above average. Offensively, he went from hitting 17% better than league average last season to 77% better thus far this year. He's pacing the majors in hits, runs and batting average.

Witt's .352 average is 18 points better than American League MVP front-runner Aaron Judge, who ranks second in the category across both leagues. Judge, meanwhile, is the only player in the majors with a higher slugging percentage than Witt, who also ranks in the top three in doubles and triples and whose 25 homers would be closer to 40 if he played all his games in Cincinnati or Milwaukee rather than the cavernous Kauffman Stadium.

"I played with some guys that they can leave the yard any time, but the way he hits for average, runs, throws, his defense, I mean, he's got the whole thing," Royals pitcher Seth Lugo said of Witt, whose collection of talents remind him a bit of former Padres teammate Fernando Tatís Jr.

"But Bob's average and bat-to-ball skills are just so great," Lugo continued. "I know Tatís is a dangerous hitter. I don't really like facing him, either, but if you execute pitches, you're probably going to get him out. Bobby's one of the few that he's going to make the adjustment in at-bats, and I think his average shows that, and a single's a double for that guy. I've never played with a guy like that. He's incredible."

Bobby Witt mashes solo home run to extend Royals' lead over Twins

There is almost no weakness to Witt's profile. After struggling against breaking balls last year, Witt is hitting .351 against them in 2024. He's also batting .357 against fastballs and .333 against offspeed pitches. His strikeout rate has decreased while his walk rate has increased each of the past two years, and he's now hitting the ball harder than he did in either of his first two seasons. At just a tick over 6 feet, 200 pounds, he has barreled more baseballs this year than any player other than Judge, Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani.

He also happens to be the fastest player in the sport.

"It's an effortless swing, and he generates so much bat speed, he generates so much force, but he's not trying to," Zumwalt said. "That's the beauty of it. You don't see him get reckless in his batting practice. You rarely see him get reckless in his swing at the plate because he doesn't have to. He has the ability just to make super quick adjustments and make really hard contact."

That controlled force is most evident with the game on the line. In late and close situations this year, Witt is slashing .381/.481/.762. He's also hitting .400 with runners in scoring position.

This elevated version of Witt is one that, according to Zumwalt, more closely resembles the natural hitter that Kansas City's scouts envisioned when they watched him in high school, made him the No. 2 overall pick and dreamed of the possibilities.

This is what Witt envisioned, too, when he decided to stay in Kansas City long term.

Witt agreed to an 11-year deal (one that includes opt-outs every year after 2030) this offseason despite the Royals coming off a dismal year, in part due to the commitment the team made to ensure their inferiority wouldn't continue. The Royals dedicated more than $100 million to free agents before inking Witt to a $288.7 million extension, making him their franchise's largest investment ever. Behind San Diego's commitment to Tatís, it's the most money a team has ever guaranteed to a player under 25 years old.

"I was drafted by this team, and I want to win with this team," Witt said. "That's my goal. They kind of showed they're in on getting other guys to help build the team, and I just knew this is where home is for me."

Witt grew up with posters of Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia on his wall. Like his childhood heroes, he too could end up playing his whole career in one place.

One step at a time, though.

What he's done this year leading the Royals back to prominence is nothing short of remarkable.

With their revamped roster, Kansas City is on pace to become the first team to win 90 games coming off a 100-loss season. Witt is the engine that makes it run — the Royals are 50-24 when Witt scores a run and 20-32 when he doesn't — but he no longer has to shoulder quite the same load he did previously. Those around Witt believe that has helped him look more at ease at the plate this year.

"When he's relaxed," Zumwalt said, "that's when you see the special come out."

"He's kind of settling into what he is, where he is, and he's just letting his skills be on display," Alan McDougal, Witt's high school coach, added. "That dude just wants to win, and he's going to do everything he can to make things successful for others — because if they're at their best, then he's going to be at his best. All of a sudden he gets to relax, and it just takes off."

That has long been the case for Witt, dating back to his years starring for McDougal at Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas, where Witt led the Panthers to a state title while earning Gatorade National Player of the Year honors.

The son of a 16-year MLB veteran, this path seemed destined for Witt since he was an 8-year-old inspiring awe at the Texas summer baseball camps run by McDougal. Witt had already committed to the University of Oklahoma before his first freshman game at Colleyville.

Early on, he tried to play both baseball and football, but the former was becoming enough of a year-round commitment that he didn't think he could dedicate enough time to the latter and two-a-days to make it work. If Witt's going to do something, he's going to pour himself into it fully until he's exceptional. One example was a high school team bonding trip to Topgolf.

"He walks in there and was not very good," McDougal recalled. "I'm not kidding you, we were there two hours, and by the time we left he had that thing figured out. He's a really good golfer now, but his knack of being able to adapt and control his body and figure out what works and what doesn't, I think, really sets him apart."

So did his manners, a credit to Witt's parents and three sisters. The best advice Witt said he got from his father was to work hard, stay humble and be himself. While his upbringing offered a leg up, he was never haughty or pompous. In fact, it was the opposite.

One time, the Colleyville baseball team returned to school after 3 a.m. following a playoff loss on the road. The players had left the bus filthy, and McDougal went to clean it up only to find Witt and Mason Greer, two close friends and sons of major-leaguers, already tidying up.

Another time, a coach at Dallas Baptist University asked McDougal what set Witt apart.

"I can't book this," McDougal responded, "but I bet you see it in a second."

The team was finishing up hitting in the cage when some players emerged with bats in hand.

"All of a sudden here comes Bobby, that dude has got the bat bag, the helmet bag, the bucket of balls, the tee," McDougal said. "He's carrying all of it because none of these other dudes would do it."

Earlier this year, life came full circle when McDougal brought his 8-year-old out to Witt's baseball camp in Kansas City. McDougal ran to Walgreens and printed out a photo of Witt throwing to his son. The big-league sensation signed the photo, with one caveat.

"He goes, ‘Hey, Max, I'm not the only ballplayer in this picture," McDougal recalled. "The other one's got to sign it, too."

Witt flipped the picture over and tossed a Sharpie to McDougal's kid.

"Obviously, my 8-year-old thinks he walks on water," McDougal said. "It was awesome."

Witt's unassuming nature, understated acts of kindness and care for those around him define his leadership style. He was never the vocal "rah-rah" type, and he never pretended to be. Still, his quiet confidence and burning desire to win tended to rub off.

"He could just kind of subtly get guys in check or make them feel the importance that he did," McDougal said.

"I love that his high school coach said he'll smile while he's slitting your throat on the field," Zumwalt said. "That's true, too. He's a relentless competitor."

Early in his Royals career especially, there was a slight downside to that doggedness. Witt could be caught trying to do too much at the plate, as evidenced by his high chase rate and low walk rate.

Now, though, Witt looks more comfortable. The valleys aren't so steep.

Part of that, Zumwalt said, is that Witt now knows he belongs.

"The ones that solidify themselves as superstars, they can rely on, ‘I know what I need to do, I know my ability's good enough, and I don't need to try harder,'" Zumwalt explained. "That's what I feel like we're continuing to see Bobby get to."

His Royals teammates have helped, too. Witt especially admired how Salvador Pérez could leave the past behind. If the Royals catcher went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, he'd return the next day the same guy.

In that regard, like most others, the Royals have seen growth in Witt.

"There's been some games where we go into the cage after a tough loss and we have to have a tough conversation, but the good thing about him is he can flush it and move on," Zumwalt said. "He's able to learn from something, file it away and move forward better than anybody I've ever seen."

From the time he picked up a bat, Witt's life has been about the future. But to sustain success, it meant learning to stay in the present.

"I really don't want to look too far ahead, don't want to look too far behind," Witt said. "Just kind of be where my feet are, enjoy the moment."

That process was made easier by his high school experience.

McDougal brought Cain in to work with the Colleyville program on mental conditioning. Years later, Cain and Witt still meet weekly via Zoom. The breathing technique Witt used last Friday before blasting off in Cincinnati was one he learned from Cain, a disciple of the late, legendary mental skills guru and sports psychologist Ken Ravizza.

For the players Cain works with — a list that also includes Corbin Burnes — he wants to help them find their confidence through consistency, preparation and routine. The breath work is part of that.

"You can get beat on a pitch and almost look foolish, release that pitch and come back and hit a home run on the next one," Cain said. "The breath is what keeps you in the present moment."

"You see it in golfers before they hit shots. You see it in free throw shooters at the line in the NBA. You see it from quarterbacks before they call for the ball. You see it in field goal kickers as they finish their steps. You see it in sprinters before they take off, the classic video of Usain Bolt before he set the world record, big breath before he gets into his stance."

Now, baseball players apply, too. During their weekly sessions, Cain will sometimes look at Witt's breath on video, making sure he's finishing it before he gets in the box. Other times, they'll discuss whatever is on Witt's mind.

"Often, our call starts with a well-better-how," Cain explained. "What went well? What are you going to do better? How are you going to do it? We look at a game plan for the week, and that's kind of how it rolls throughout the season."

The sessions are all about building consistency. At the plate, Witt's steadiness is unrivaled.

From June 30 to July 31, he hit .500. He hasn't gone more than three games without a hit this year — that three-game hitless skid only happened once — and he has hit over .300 every month this season.

His quick maturation as a big leaguer is not unlike what happened in high school. By his senior year at Colleyville, Witt had developed into the nation's top recruit. Before he ever played in his first pro game for the Royals, Witt had already homered at multiple major-league ballparks.

He went deep at Globe Life Park during the high school playoffs, found the bleachers at Wrigley Field during the Under Armour All-America Game and sent a plethora of souvenirs out at Nationals Park, where he bested his friend Rece Hinds to win the National High School Home Run Derby in the midst of MLB's All-Star festivities in 2018. Witt used the breathing technique then, too, which steadied his shaking legs and kept him in the moment.

"His openness to wanting to learn is second to none," Cain said. "As good as he is, he just wants to get better."

The leaps Witt has taken this year are a product of that — and a boon for a Royals team that could be playoff bound for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. Witt is trying to get his team back to the pinnacle the way another local sports legend, Patrick Mahomes, did for the Chiefs in 2019 (and again each of the past two NFL seasons).

It's little surprise, then, why Witt's offseason workouts take place at the Athlete Performance Enhancement Center, which was founded by Mahomes' trainer, Bobby Stroupe.

Witt began working out with Stroupe before the 2021 season, and though Stroupe has since moved to Kansas City to work full-time with Mahomes, the APEC facility in Fort Worth remains Witt's offseason haven. At its peak, APEC's MLB offseason group can get up to 40 players, growing mostly through word of mouth. Texas natives Trent Grisham and AJ Minter are among the mainstays. Now, Witt is, too.

Mason Hays, APEC's director of performance, believes Witt prefers the group training that APEC provides.

"He's a guy who I think thrives in a competitive environment like that," Hays said.

Players usually start trickling into the facility as early as the end of October and get split into two groups of position players and pitchers. The first couple of months are usually dedicated to getting the players' bodies in a place where they can handle a larger training demand. The early workouts feature mostly ground-based movements, including rolling and crawling.

"Basically, almost like low-level gymnastics type movements," Hays explained. "Some of that is probably a little bit more unorthodox than what you see people do in a typical gym, but what those guys need from a level of health from their spine and shoulders and hips to be able to take on the amount of volume of rotation that they receive over the course of nine months, I just think it's critical to get their body back to a foundational baseline to be able to take on some greater training demands as the offseason goes on."

Eventually, they'll progress into more rigorous workouts that allow the players to showcase their freakish athleticism. That includes acceleration work, such as short, intermittent sprints with resistance. Then there's max velocity day, when players move over longer distances as fast as they can. There's also jump variations and rotational work throwing medicine balls. Then comes the heavier strength training. Over the past few years, Hays estimates Witt has probably put on 20 pounds, though that's more of a side product than a focus at APEC.

"We're more worried about how fast he's running, how well he's turning, what does his exit velocity look like, what does his throwing velocity look like, what do his jumps look like, his sprint times, things like that," Hays said. "If some weight gain in a functional sense comes along with that, then that's awesome."

If the goal is to keep athletes such as Witt healthy and durable over the course of a 162-game season, it's hard to argue with the results.

Entering Thursday, Witt has played in all 126 Royals games this season. He has done so at such an elite level that he is almost certain to post the first 10-fWAR season from a shortstop since Álex Rodríguez in 2002 and is on pace to join Honus Wagner (1908) as the only shortstops ever to accumulate more than 11 fWAR in a single season.

That will put Witt in the MVP conversation, even if he won't be the one to promote it.

"That's something that, yeah, it's in my control, but not really," Witt said. "It really comes down to controlling what I can control and that's my process, preparing the best I possibly can to be ready each and every night."

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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