Bobby Witt Jr. solidifies place among MLB stars with Home Run Derby performance

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. opened a lot of eyes with his performance in the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday night.

Witt, who returned as the hometown hero in Arlington, Texas, solidified his rightful place among the top young stars of Major League Baseball.

And he did it with his family in attendance.

“Yeah, that was fun,” Witt said. “The crowd, Texas-sized crowd, it was a lot of fun being able to just do that and experience that with my brother-in-law and family in the stands.

“Just to be able to make it to the finals, it was awesome. And Teoscar (Hernandez) put on a great show. It was so much fun to be out there.”

Witt came up just short to L.A. Dodgers outfielder Hernandez in the final round. Witt hit 13 home runs and trailed Hernandez by one homer with one pitch left. With his last swing, Witt hit a deep fly ball that clanged off the outfield facade.

The ball traveled nearly 410 feet to the deepest part of the field before falling to the ground, eliminating Witt in heartbreaking fashion.

Later, in the American League clubhouse where Witt on Tuesday will suit up to play in his first All-Star Game, he caught a replay of the final moments of the derby.

He was hopeful he’d gotten enough of the ball to tie up the round and force a “swingoff” tiebreaker.

“When I hit it, I kind of knew I didn’t hit it great,” Witt said. “Yeah, I was just trying to blow on it or something.”

The replay showed Witt’s initial reaction. He said the first thing that ran through his mind was that he’d gotten under the pitch just a bit.

“First thing I thought of was ‘no pop,’” he said. “We’ve got to do a couple more curls or something.”

While Witt didn’t get the final pop of the night, he received a well-earned reaction from his home-state crowd.

Fans chanted “Bobby” as he vied for Royals history. He could’ve become the first Royal to win the Home Run Derby. He’s just the fourth shortstop in baseball history to appear in the derby’s final round.

In all, Witt hit 50 home runs in the contest — the most of any competitor Monday night. He totaled 20,428 feet in homers and his longest blast traveled 457.

“Amazing,” Royals captain Salvador Perez said of Witt’s performance. The team captain and fellow All-Star cheered Witt on near the batter’s box during his rounds.

“He did a tremendous job and I feel super happy for him and to do it in front of this crowd ... He will never forget this moment and hopefully he can do it next year and win it.”

Witt didn’t shy away from considering a run at the 2025 Home Run Derby, which will take place at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We’ll see,” he said with a smile.

Despite the final-round loss, Witt kept the focus on representing the Royals and his family. He was proud to share the moment with his brother-in-law, James Russell, who served as his pitcher.

Russell, who spent seven years in the majors, was celebrating his son Jayce’s, birthday on Monday. It was also the first time he had stepped onto a professional mound in nearly three years.

“That was kind of a full circle moment and really special,” Russell said. “Just to have him watch me and the whole family watching.”

Russell said Jayce was Witt’s biggest supporter. He cheers every time Witt performs well on the field.

“He’s the biggest Bobby Jr. fan you’ll ever find,” Russell said. “We watch mostly every game and the second he sees Junior he is up jumping around: ‘Bobby’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Uncle Junior.’ It’s pretty cool and lights up my eyes every time.”

Jayce is not alone in his support. Witt earned a lot more fans Monday with his strong showing in Arlington. There’s no doubt he will be a fixture of the game for many years to come.

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing and move forward from this to get ready for the game tomorrow and back at it for the second half with the Royals,” Witt said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun taking it all in and then just keep enjoying every moment.”