The Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees will begin the American League Division Series on Saturday. Bobby Witt Jr and the Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series to set up the matchup. Kansas City's shortstop spoke to reporters on Friday and said he is looking to another shortstop for some inspiration.
“Bobby Witt Jr.’s favorite players growing up were Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia,” MLB Network's Jon Morosi posted on social media. “Witt watched some Jeter postseason highlights last night. Tomorrow, he plays in the Bronx during the postseason for the 1st time. ‘Just taking it all in,' Witt said, smiling.”
Witt said he fired up some Jeter highlights on YouTube on the train ride from Baltimore to New York. He said that he wanted to get a feel of the crowd at Yankee Stadium before the Royals take the field on Saturday. Here's the full interaction, courtesy of SNY.
Bobby Witt Jr. still has a Derek Jeter jersey hanging up in the bedroom of his childhood home
He was watching Jeter postseason highlights last night to get a gauge for what Yankee Stadium might be like in October pic.twitter.com/9aE1kKwfJx
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 4, 2024
The Royals need a Jeter-like performance from Bobby Witt Jr

The Royals are back in the playoffs for the first time since their World Series victory in 2015. Witt was in high school when they clinched that title. This is a new core, still centered around catcher Salvador Perez, with a star who is locked up for the next decade. Witt must solidify himself as a great playoff performer in this series.
He was one of the few offensive players who produced in the Wild Card Series. He knocked in two of the three runs they scored in the two games, including the game-winning run in the second game. After an MVP-caliber season, they need his production to continue. He is looking for inspiration in the right place, as Jeter's legacy is built on great postseason at-bats.
The Royals and Yankees begin their best-of-five series on Saturday with a 6:38 first pitch in The Bronx.