'It's a Lot of Fun Coming Back Home.' Royals Young Star Bobby Witt Jr. Returns To North Texas

The Kansas City Royals superstar and son of former Texas Rangers pitcher Bobby Witt Sr. enjoys a return home to North Texas.

Jun 21, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. prepares for batting practice before the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON — It doesn’t matter if it’s Globe Life Field or the former Ballpark in Arlington across the street, a ballpark near his boyhood home in Colleyville feels right at home for Kansas City Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

It’s not often that a Major League player gets to sleep in his own bed on the road. But that’s what Witt Jr. did on Thursday night as the Royals prepared for a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.

Witt Jr., who revealed on Friday that he’s a Dallas Stars season-ticket holder, makes his offseason home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“It’s a lot of fun coming home,” Witt Jr. said.

These days he’s the face of the Royals’ franchise, in part because of the 11-year, $288 million deal he signed with Kansas City in the offseason. It’s far more money than his father, former Rangers starter Bobby Witt Sr., made in his entire career.

The elder Witt undoubtedly doesn’t mind. After all, he is his son’s agent and, with the assistance of his employer, Octagon Sports, they negotiated his son’s deal.

Bobby Witt Jr. ahead of his Texas homecoming series: "The support everyone has for me, coming from here, they're all great people. I'm really excited to play in front of them." #Royals pic.twitter.com/FYMqCLJd18

— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) June 21, 2024

When it comes to anything related to baseball the third-year pro turns to his dad.

“He’s my cheat sheet,” he said with a chuckle.

These days it’s Witt Jr. that has the national following, and it’s only getting bigger.

He entered the series with a .322 batting average, 12 home runs, 53 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Considered one of baseball’s fastest players, he was second in AL All-Star Game balloting at shortstop, behind young Baltimore Orioles superstar Gunnar Henderson, when the first wave of results were released on Monday.

Witt Jr. hasn’t been an All-Star yet — his father never earned a spot — but a selection this year would come with added significance, as the game is at Globe Life Field.

He said he’s not thinking about it yet. He’s more concerned with getting the Royals back to the postseason.

But being an All-Star this year might give his mother, his sister and a couple of his nieces and nephews the chance to surprise him with donuts again, as they did on Friday morning.

“It’s special,” Witt Jr. said. “It’s awesome. Being able to come home and, growing up, being a Rangers fan and going to games. Yeah it’s a different stadium but it’s still special.”

Witt Sr. retired after the 2001 season, and the family remained in the area. Witt Jr. attended Colleyville Heritage High School, where he was the Gatorade National Player of the Year and attended as many Rangers games as he could each summer.

The Royals selected him No. 2 overall in 2019 and he signed a huge $7.79 million bonus to spurn his college commitment to Oklahoma. In spite of not playing a professional game in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he made his Major League debut less than three years after his selection.

Much of Witt’s family was in attendance on Friday. While Witt Sr. won 142 MLB games and played 11 of his 16 seasons with the Rangers, his son never seriously thought about becoming a pitcher beyond high school.

“I loved hitting so much growing up,” Witt Jr. said. “That’s what I wanted to do and why I wanted to play shortstop. I just love playing every day.”

The Royals wouldn’t have it any other way.

Bobby Witt Sr. ended up with a foul ball from his son last year in the Texas suites: "It's absolutely impossible when you look at where the ball went. ... I just reached out. Hit my hand. ... It was pretty crazy."

Both Sr. and Jr. ended up signing the "keepsake" ball. #Royals pic.twitter.com/hTKkXNts7j

— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) June 22, 2024