Who is Bobby Witt Sr.? A closer look at Royals shortstop's father's MLB legacy

Bobby Witt Sr. is the father of Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who became the first Kansas player to score 30 home runs and 45 stolen bases, joining the 30-30 club in 2023.

His father, Witt Sr., played 16 seasons in the MLB for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cleveland Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Hailing from Arlington, Virginia, Witt Sr. played college baseball for the University of Oklahoma. He was picked third overall by the Rangers in the 1985 MLB draft. The hard-throwing right-hander made his MLB debut in 1986 and finished the season with an 11-9 record across 31 starts.

Also known as "Witt 'n Wild," the pitcher had control problems, which resulted in a league-leading 143 walks in 157.2 innings pitched in his rookie season. He led the league in walks the following season, walking 140 hitters.

His best season came in 1990, going 17–10 with a career-low 3.36 ERA. He registered 221 strikeouts across 222 innings. He stayed with the Rangers until the 1992 season before getting traded along with Jeff Russell and Rubén Sierra to the Oakland Athletics for Jose Canseco.

On Jun. 23, 1994, Witt almost threw a perfect game, but an incorrect bunt play call by the first base umpire in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals played spoilsport.

Witt signed a one-year deal with the Florida Marlins ahead of the 1995 season but was traded to the Rangers midway through the campaign. He played for Texas from 1995 to 1998, going 36-32. His best season during this period was in 1996, going 16-12, with an ERA of 5.41.

He also won an Olympic silver for Team USA in the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Bobby Witt Sr. ended his career on a high by winning the World Series with the Dbacks in 2001.

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Bobby Witt Sr.'s son also indulged in baseball

Bobby Witt Sr.'s legacy was furthered by his son, Witt Jr., after he was selected second overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 2019 MLB draft.

He became the everyday third baseman for the Royals in 2022, slashing .254/.294/.428 in 591 plate appearances, with 82 runs, six triples (fourth in the AL), 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and 30 steals (fourth).

Like his father, Witt Jr. has also represented Team USA, winning the silver medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He had a historic season in 2023, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 30 home runs, 10 triples and 45 stolen bases in one season.