What makes Bobby Witt Jr. special? A look at how KC Royals star changes the game
At any given moment, Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. can change the game.
Witt is a force multiplier. The Royals love to have him at the plate in clutch moments. Opposing teams scurry at his mere presence.
Need an example?
In Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, Witt sparked an eighth-inning comeback with his speed. At one point he hit a baseball less than 60 feet yet still created immense pressure on the opposing team.
Twins reliever Griffin Jax couldn’t handle it. He threw wildly toward first base and Witt wound up at third. Later, Witt scored the game-winning run as the Royals pulled out a 2-1 victory.
“That’s a Bobby Witt Jr. Special right there,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “We are lucky to have him.”
Five tools of dominance
Just 24, Witt embodies baseball’s five-tool player.
Such players display excellence in the game’s key areas: hitting for average, hitting for power, speed on the basepaths, arm strength and defensive fielding ability.
It’s rare for MLB players to possess all five elite skills. Witt is in a special category once occupied by Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Rickey Henderson and Roberto Clemente, among others.
Around the majors, Witt is considered a contemporary of such fellow stars as Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge. These players are main attractions whenever they suit up.
It’s fitting that Pasquantino dubbed Tuesday’s game the “Bobby Witt Jr. Special,” as Witt’s the rare big-leaguer who can simultaneously strike fear in, and generate respect among, his peers.
“To see how he kind of blossomed and continues to perform on a very elite level, he is straight doing it,” New York Mets star Pete Alonso said last season. “It’s really cool to see. He is a very special talent and Kansas City is lucky to have him. He is a phenomenal player.”
Here is a look at the elements that set Witt apart:
Elite power
Only one major-league player has hit at least 20 home runs and stolen 20 bases in each of his first three seasons of pro baseball.
Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt has had many memorable moments already. There was his walk-off grand slam against the Twins in 2023. And his inside-the-park home run against the Seattle Mariners later that year.
He also became the first Royals player to join baseball’s 30-30 club — 30 or more homers and 30 or more steals in the same season. He has reached the milestone twice and finished second in the AL MVP voting last season.
His offseason honors, after finishing with the highest batting average and most hits in baseball, included a Silver Slugger award.
Witt’s already garnering the ultimate respect from opposing teams in 2025: He has drawn intentional walks with a base open this season.
Elite power is just one aspect of the “Bobby Witt Special.” Another big component is his dynamic speed.
Speed threat
Witt generates excitement on the basepaths. He recently scored from first on a single by Pasquantino.
There aren’t many players who can match Witt’s sprint speed. He routinely ranks among the top players in that category, per Baseball Savant. He currently leads the league with a sprint speed of 30 feet per second.
In terms of deeper speed metrics, he has 22 competitive runs and nine bolts. Basically, the Royals have granted Witt a green light and he has produced at least 30 steals a season.
What’s more, Witt is still improving in this area. Over the offseason, he worked on generating better jumps and becoming more efficient on the basepaths. The Royals even brought in former U.S. Olympian Maurice Greene to work with Witt and company in Surprise, Arizona.
Witt benefits from this sort of additional support. He has 113 stolen bases (and counting) and has been thrown out just 35 times in his career.
Golden defense
Witt affects games defensively, too, of course. After settling into an everyday role at shortstop, he has flourished in the big leagues.
He won his first Gold Glove last season with a .974 fielding percentage. He recorded 207 putouts and 361 assists and turned 78 double plays.
One thing that sticks out about Witt in this area is his range. He routinely chases down shallow fly balls in the outfield. His ability to save runs defensively has undoubtedly aided the Royals’ pitching staff.
For example, Witt robbed L.A. Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel of a base hit last season. He did it by racing from his position to make a sliding catch near the left-field line.
Other highlight plays he makes regularly include tough diving catches and pinpoint putout throws to first from deep in the shortstop hole.
“Just trying to take away as many hits as possible,” Witt said of his defense. “If you are not getting hits, you are trying to take them away. That’s what you are trying to do at all times: be in the right position for any play made and try to help out the pitchers.”
The Bobby Witt Jr. intangibles
The final element of the “Bobby Witt Jr. Special” could have a lasting effect on the Royals: He has emerged as a leader in the clubhouse alongside team captain Salvador Perez.
Witt leads by example. Teammates rave about his passion for every aspect of the game. He is often the first one to take his position and last to leave the field.
He’s also typically among the first to congratulate his peers when something good occurs. That’s because he takes the time to relish special moments. In 2023 he raced to center field to retrieve a baseball for former teammate Samad Taylor after the latter’s walk-off.
Whether he’s legging out an extra base or picking up a teammate who’s down, Witt is leaving his imprint on others — and the game itself — in many ways.
“He’s a stud, and you never know what he is going to do that day,” KC pitcher and teammate Michael Wacha said recently. “(It’s) exciting stuff in the field, in the box and with his (at-bats).
“He is just an all-around stud and great dude.”
This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What makes Bobby Witt Jr. special? A look at how KC Royals star changes the game."
