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Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. competed for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic in 2023, and the Americans nearly won the tournament but lost to Japan.
It was Witt’s first time representing the U.S. on the World Baseball Classic stage. He had already helped Team USA win gold in the 2018 Pan American Baseball Confederation (now known as WBSC Americas) tournament.
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Mar 13, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; USA infielder Bobby Witt Jr. against Canada during the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
It meant a lot to Witt to play with the red, white and blue on his chest.
“It was special, it was an honor,” he told Mookie Betts on the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s “On Base” podcast. “Just being able to do that and be around you guys, see what it is like to be around the stars of the game and just how they work, how they talk about the game in the cage.
NATIONALS FIRE MANAGER DAVE MARTINEZ, GM MIKE RIZZO AMID TEAM STRUGGLES
Mar 19, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; USA third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. (15) throws to first but cannot retire Cuba right fielder Yoelkis Guibert (not pictured) during the sixth inning at LoanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports)
“It is just, like, I felt like I was just, I was there but it was just like, I felt like I was a part of it because of how you guys treated me, and treated the other guys in there, and the biggest thing kind of I took away from it was everyone just wanted to win, and it was what can they do to win, and it is like, very selfless guys and then just that clubhouse, all All-Stars, a bunch of guys with World Series rings. So, it was really cool just to see how those guys work and there is a reason why they are studs how they are.”
Witt appeared in five games in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and had a hit in two at-bats.
He will make his third Team USA appearance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Mar 13, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; USA infielder Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth inning against Canada during the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
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As of Monday, the infielder the American League MVP runner-up was leading the majors in doubles (30) and hitting .292 with a .837 OPS and 12 home runs.
Fox News Connor McGahan contributed to this report.
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