Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. grew up idolizing Derek Jeter, and as Witt and his teammates prepare to face the New York Yankees in the ALDS, the young star is turning to the Hall of Famer for inspiration.
Witt told reporters Friday in the Bronx that heâs been watching highlights of Jeterâs signature October moments to get a better idea of what the atomsphere in Yankee Stadium will be like when the series begins on Saturday night.
"I was watching his highlightsâpostseason highlightsârecently, actually," Witt said. "And just being able to take the field that he did is kind of special. It gives me chills just thinking about it.
"It was actually last night, and on the train ride and stuff. Just being able to see it, just because of how the stadium is, how the fans are. I just wanted to take it all into perspective."
Witt added that his two favorite players growing up were Jeter and Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. He wore No. 17 in high school because itâs a combination of both playersâ numbers (Jeterâs No. 2 and Pedroiaâs No. 15) and still has both of their jerseys hanging up in his bedroom at his parentsâ house.
Witt, 24, was already regarded as one of the top young stars in the game but took an even bigger leap forward with Kansas City this year, leading the majors with a .332 batting average, and was a major reason why the Royals went from losing 106 games last year to making their first postseason appearance since 2015.
Although he hasnât played in the Bronx in October, Witt has already managed to quiet opposing crowds in the playoffs. He drove in the winning run in both of Kansas Cityâs wins over the Baltimore Orioles in the wild-card round.
