The makings of a superstar: Inside Bobby Witt Jr.’s meteoric rise

“He’s kind of settling into what he is, where he is, and he’s just letting his skills be on display,” Alan McDougal, Witt’s high school coach, added. “That dude just wants to win, and he’s going to do everything he can to make things successful for others — because if they’re at their best, then he’s going to be at his best. All of a sudden he gets to relax, and it just takes off.”

That has long been the case for Witt, dating back to his years starring for McDougal at Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas, where Witt led the Panthers to a state title while earning Gatorade National Player of the Year honors.

The son of a 16-year MLB veteran, this path seemed destined for Witt since he was an 8-year-old inspiring awe at the Texas summer baseball camps run by McDougal. Witt had already committed to the University of Oklahoma before his first freshman game at Colleyville.

Early on, he tried to play both baseball and football, but the former was becoming enough of a year-round commitment that he didn’t think he could dedicate enough time to the latter and two-a-days to make it work. If Witt’s going to do something, he’s going to pour himself into it fully until he’s exceptional. One example was a high school team bonding trip to Topgolf.

“He walks in there and was not very good,” McDougal recalled. “I’m not kidding you, we were there two hours, and by the time we left he had that thing figured out. He’s a really good golfer now, but his knack of being able to adapt and control his body and figure out what works and what doesn’t, I think, really sets him apart.”

So did his manners, a credit to Witt’s parents and three sisters. The best advice Witt said he got from his father was to work hard, stay humble and be himself. While his upbringing offered a leg up, he was never haughty or pompous. In fact, it was the opposite.

One time, the Colleyville baseball team returned to school after 3 a.m. following a playoff loss on the road. The players had left the bus filthy, and McDougal went to clean it up only to find Witt and Mason Greer, two close friends and sons of major-leaguers, already tidying up.

Another time, a coach at Dallas Baptist University asked McDougal what set Witt apart.

“I can’t book this,” McDougal responded, “but I bet you see it in a second.”

The team was finishing up hitting in the cage when some players emerged with bats in hand.

“All of a sudden here comes Bobby, that dude has got the bat bag, the helmet bag, the bucket of balls, the tee,” McDougal said. “He’s carrying all of it because none of these other dudes would do it.”

Earlier this year, life came full circle when McDougal brought his 8-year-old out to Witt’s baseball camp in Kansas City. McDougal ran to Walgreens and printed out a photo of Witt throwing to his son. The big-league sensation signed the photo, with one caveat.

“He goes, ‘Hey, Max, I’m not the only ballplayer in this picture,” McDougal recalled. “The other one’s got to sign it, too.”

Witt flipped the picture over and tossed a Sharpie to McDougal’s kid.

“Obviously, my 8-year-old thinks he walks on water,” McDougal said. “It was awesome.”

Witt’s unassuming nature, understated acts of kindness and care for those around him define his leadership style. He was never the vocal “rah-rah” type, and he never pretended to be. Still, his quiet confidence and burning desire to win tended to rub off.

“He could just kind of subtly get guys in check or make them feel the importance that he did,” McDougal said.

“I love that his high school coach said he’ll smile while he’s slitting your throat on the field,” Zumwalt said. “That’s true, too. He’s a relentless competitor.”

Early in his Royals career especially, there was a slight downside to that doggedness. Witt could be caught trying to do too much at the plate, as evidenced by his high chase rate and low walk rate.

Now, though, Witt looks more comfortable. The valleys aren’t so steep.

Part of that, Zumwalt said, is that Witt now knows he belongs.

“The ones that solidify themselves as superstars, they can rely on, ‘I know what I need to do, I know my ability’s good enough, and I don’t need to try harder,'” Zumwalt explained. “That’s what I feel like we’re continuing to see Bobby get to.”

His Royals teammates have helped, too. Witt especially admired how Salvador Pérez could leave the past behind. If the Royals catcher went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, he’d return the next day the same guy.

In that regard, like most others, the Royals have seen growth in Witt.

“There’s been some games where we go into the cage after a tough loss and we have to have a tough conversation, but the good thing about him is he can flush it and move on,” Zumwalt said. “He’s able to learn from something, file it away and move forward better than anybody I’ve ever seen.”

From the time he picked up a bat, Witt’s life has been about the future. But to sustain success, it meant learning to stay in the present.

“I really don’t want to look too far ahead, don’t want to look too far behind,” Witt said. “Just kind of be where my feet are, enjoy the moment.”

That process was made easier by his high school experience.

McDougal brought Cain in to work with the Colleyville program on mental conditioning. Years later, Cain and Witt still meet weekly via Zoom. The breathing technique Witt used last Friday before blasting off in Cincinnati was one he learned from Cain, a disciple of the late, legendary mental skills guru and sports psychologist Ken Ravizza.

For the players Cain works with — a list that also includes Corbin Burnes — he wants to help them find their confidence through consistency, preparation and routine. The breath work is part of that.

“You can get beat on a pitch and almost look foolish, release that pitch and come back and hit a home run on the next one,” Cain said. “The breath is what keeps you in the present moment.”

“You see it in golfers before they hit shots. You see it in free throw shooters at the line in the NBA. You see it from quarterbacks before they call for the ball. You see it in field goal kickers as they finish their steps. You see it in sprinters before they take off, the classic video of Usain Bolt before he set the world record, big breath before he gets into his stance.”

Now, baseball players apply, too. During their weekly sessions, Cain will sometimes look at Witt’s breath on video, making sure he’s finishing it before he gets in the box. Other times, they’ll discuss whatever is on Witt’s mind.

“Often, our call starts with a well-better-how,” Cain explained. “What went well? What are you going to do better? How are you going to do it? We look at a game plan for the week, and that’s kind of how it rolls throughout the season.”

The sessions are all about building consistency. At the plate, Witt’s steadiness is unrivaled.

From June 30 to July 31, he hit .500. He hasn’t gone more than three games without a hit this year — that three-game hitless skid only happened once — and he has hit over .300 every month this season.

His quick maturation as a big leaguer is not unlike what happened in high school. By his senior year at Colleyville, Witt had developed into the nation’s top recruit. Before he ever played in his first pro game for the Royals, Witt had already homered at multiple major-league ballparks.

He went deep at Globe Life Park during the high school playoffs, found the bleachers at Wrigley Field during the Under Armour All-America Game and sent a plethora of souvenirs out at Nationals Park, where he bested his friend Rece Hinds to win the National High School Home Run Derby in the midst of MLB’s All-Star festivities in 2018. Witt used the breathing technique then, too, which steadied his shaking legs and kept him in the moment.

“His openness to wanting to learn is second to none,” Cain said. “As good as he is, he just wants to get better.”

The leaps Witt has taken this year are a product of that — and a boon for a Royals team that could be playoff bound for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. Witt is trying to get his team back to the pinnacle the way another local sports legend, Patrick Mahomes, did for the Chiefs in 2019 (and again each of the past two NFL seasons).

It’s little surprise, then, why Witt’s offseason workouts take place at the Athlete Performance Enhancement Center, which was founded by Mahomes’ trainer, Bobby Stroupe.