Bobby Witt Jr. discloses key to breakout season amid comparison to Pirates legend Honus Wagner

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. recently revealed the secret behind his stellar MLB seasons since making his debut in 2022. He was one of the top prospects in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft and was selected by the Royals with the second overall pick.

Witt Jr. had an impressive rookie season, posting a .254 batting average and a .722 OPS across 150 games for the Royals. Since then, he has been a dominant force, becoming the only shortstop in MLB history to record back-to-back 30-30 seasons in 2023 and 2024.

In a recent interview, Mark DeRosa asked Witt Jr. about the key to his success in MLB while comparing his achievements to those of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Honus Wagner. Witt Jr. replied:

“Yeah, It starts just with going in the offseason what I need to improve on and I think there's a lot of a lot of things and just it all starts with being more consistent just throughout the whole entire season. Being able to do that. I think then the sky's the limit for me and the team.

“So that was something that I went into the offseason to try to get stronger, faster everything. Worked on every part of my game all the tools even the mental side of it just to be mentally sharp for whenever it is a postseason or a big moment. So just be ready for that”

Bobby Witt Jr. and Honus Wagner are shortstops but from different eras of baseball. Wagner is a Hall of Famer who played from 1897 to 1917 mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wagner has also served as the Pirates' manager and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in baseball history, with his best season coming in 1908 when he led the National League in multiple categories, recording 201 hits, 39 doubles, and 19 triples while posting a .354 batting average.

Bobby Witt Jr opens up about his ‘ultimate goal’ with the Royals for the upcoming season

Mark DeRosa also asked Bobby Witt Jr. whether he had taken time to reflect on his stellar 2024 season. Witt Jr. replied:

“Definitely just after the season ended and everything just kind of looked back. But then also there's that taste in my mouth that we didn't end the season with a win And so that's the ultimate goal is just to end the season with the win do it. Here Kansas City, and then enjoy it.”

Although the Kansas City Royals didn’t reach the World Series last year, they bounced back well after a disappointing 2023 season in which they finished with a 56–106 record. In 2024, they improved significantly, posting an 86–76 record and sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series.

However, their postseason run ended in the AL Division Series, where they lost to the Yankees, 3-1.