Was Bobby Witt Jr. The Superstar We Saw Coming?
Image credit: (Photo by Eddie Kelly)
Hindsight is 20/20.
In the case of Bobby Witt Jr., foresight also was 20/20.
The Royals’ 24-year-old shortstop does everything well and is one of MLB’s brightest young superstars. Witt’s future potential on the field came into sharp focus three years ago during minor league Best Tools voting at midseason.
Back in 2021, Witt’s lone full season in the minor leagues, he dominated Best Tools voting like few prospects do. Double-A Texas League managers voted him best batting prospect, best baserunner, fastest baserunner, best infield arm and most exciting player.
He received votes for—but did not win—best power prospect and best defensive shortstop.
Translation: Witt cornered the market on the five traditional scouting tools: hitting, power, speed, fielding and arm. He was at or near the top of his class for all five tools, at least according to Texas League managers who voted for Best Tools.
Witt’s journey to reach that point was not exactly linear.
Selected second overall in the epic 2019 draft, Witt turned in a so-so pro debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Then, like all prospects, he lost the entire 2020 minor league season to the pandemic.
When normalcy returned in 2021, scouts raved about Witt in spring training. A 20-year-old who had a below-average OPS in Rookie ball two years earlier and who had not taken a Class A at-bat was viewed as being ready for Double-A—and potentially the major leagues by the end of the season.
“He’s a true five-tool, do everything type of player who plays with incredible confidence and ferocity for his age,” raved one scout. ”He’s a special player.”
Another scout praised Witt’s confidence in the box and compact swing, before zeroing in on his competitive makeup.
“His demeanor is big league-level in my opinion,” the scout said.
Witt dominated spring training in 2021 to earn an assignment to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He represented the Royals at the Futures Game, after which the organization promoted him to Triple-A Omaha.
Witt hit equally well at both Double-A and Triple-A and finished with a .290/.361/.576 batting line to go with 33 home runs and 29 stolen bases. He would have been the rare 30-30 minor leaguer had his 30th steal not been wiped from his ledger when a game was canceled by rain.
Three years ago, it was Witt’s speed that shocked observers most.
“The one thing that surprised me is that I didn’t know how much speed he has,” Triple-A St. Paul manager Toby Gardenhire said at the time. “He’s a burner. He absolutely flies. He could steal way more bases than he does.”
Witt got the message. He went 20-30 as a Royals rookie in 2022. With the new basestealing rules at his back in 2023, he fell one stolen base shy of going 30-50. This season, he has 30-30 firmly in sight.
So while Witt might be the superstar everybody saw coming, his mastery of so many disciplines places him in rarefied air.
