A look back at when Bobby Witt Jr. once donned a Yankees uniform for a game
Bobby Witt Jr.’s father grew up in Massachusetts, so when the family headed to the Boston area for a visit, they would make trips to Fenway Park.
As a kid, Witt fell in love with the iconic ballpark. When he hit a home run for the Royals at Fenway Park last summer, Witt admitted it was something he’d always dreamed of doing.
Because he grew up as a Red Sox fan, Witt never rooted for the Yankees, who are Boston’s bitter rival.
While any ill will toward the Yankees has waned now that Witt is in the major leagues, New York will open a three-game series against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium this week.
And with New York in town, it’s a perfect reminder that Witt has a tie to the Yankees. Nearly a decade ago, Witt donned the team’s jersey for a game at Fenway Park.
It came during the Kelly Rodman Memorial Summer Rivalry Classic, which is played annually at Fenway Park. It caps “a plentiful two-month stretch of showcase opportunities for New England’s top college and high school prospects,” per the New England Baseball Journal.
That includes a game featuring players on a Yankees scout team and Red Sox scout team.
A story in The Athletic said Witt got the chance to play in that game thanks to his dad, who was friends with a Yankees area scout named Matt Hyde.
This is an excerpt from Brendan Kuty’s story for The Athletic: “Witt Sr. had told Hyde that his parents rarely got to see their grandson play since he was being raised in Texas. So Hyde invited the youngest Witt to play in the scout game at Fenway Park, which would allow his grandparents to finally see him on the field.”
Witt Jr., who was 16 at the time, jumped at the chance to play at Fenway Park.
“It was cool, but I wore the Yankees’ uniform,” Witt Jr. told The Athletic. “It was funny, but it was cool.”
After that 2016 game, Witt shared photos on X (nee Twitter) and wrote: “What A Time! Getting to play on the same field that the greatest players of all time have played. I have dreamed about playing at the Fenway Park ever since I was a little kid, and now playing there is such an unbelievable experience.
“Standing at home plate and just looking out at the field knowing that Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ted Williams and many more greats have stepped in the same box that I have now. And pitching on the same mound (as) Cy Young and the greatest pitchers ever in the game who have as well, and lastly even hitting a couple balls over that Big wall in left that they call the Green Monster.
“Thank you to the Yankees, Red Sox and to everyone out there today, and for all they did today to make this such a memorable day in my life.”
Witt also wrote an Instagram post and made it clear he wasn’t thrilled about being in Yankees colors.
He wrote: “As a little boy I dreamed about playing at Fenway Park and now getting the opportunity to play on the greatest baseball field ever made is such a humbling experience and outstanding moment in my life ... even though I had to wear a Yankees Uni.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM with the headline "A look back at when Bobby Witt Jr. once donned a Yankees uniform for a game."
