Bobby Witt Jr.

Robert Andrew Witt Jr. (born June 14, 2000) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was drafted second overall in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[1]

Bobby Witt Jr.
Kansas City Royals
Shortstop
Born: (2000-06-14) June 14, 2000
Colleyville, Texas
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Career

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

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. He signed for $7.79 million,[12] and made his professional debut with the Arizona League Royals. Over 37 games, he batted .262/.317/.354 with one home run, 27 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.[13]

Personal life

Witt's father, Bobby Witt, played parts of 16 seasons as a pitcher in MLB. Bobby Witt Sr. is a current player agent with Octagon Baseball and is his son's advisor.[14]

References
  1. "Robert Witt Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  2. "Colleyville Heritage's Bobby Witt makes 18U National team trials". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  3. "Top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. might not make it to OU". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  4. "From Witt To Witt". Baseball America. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  5. "Projected top '19 pick Witt wins HS HR Derby". MLB.com. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  6. "Local baseball star shines at Under Armour All-American game". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  7. "Local phenom, a potential No. 1 MLB Draft pick, shines in showcase at Globe Life Park". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  8. "How Bobby Witt Jr., son of former Ranger, became the 2019 amateur draft's darling prospect after national showcase tour". SportsDay. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  9. "Potential No. 1 pick in MLB Draft, TCU signee help Team USA bring home gold". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  10. "Texas Rangers legend surprises top high school player, Bobby Witt, with national award". Fort Worth-Star Telegram. May 29, 2019.
  11. "2019 PROSPECT WATCH".
  12. "Bobby Witt Jr., No. 2 overall pick in MLB Draft, signs with Royals for full slot value". The Kansas City Star. June 12, 2019.
  13. "KC Royals: Top prospect rewind, infielder Bobby Witt Jr".
  14. Ron Morris (May 22, 2019). "Now An Agent, Bobby Witt Remains On The Players' Side". Baseball America. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
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