Red Sox legend Wade Boggs shares why Bobby Witt Jr. is his modern-day equivalent, makes comparison to Royals icon George Brett

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has emerged as a clubhouse leader after a historic 2024 season with the franchise. Following his MVP-caliber season last year, Boston Red Sox legend Wade Boggs praised the Royals star.

During the Fanatics Fest over the weekend, MLB Network's Xavier Scruggs asked Wade Boggs about the player who reminds him of himself. The first-ballot Hall of Famer mentioned Witt Jr. as his pick, drawing a comparison with Royals icon and fellow Hall of Famer George Brett.

He said on the "Off Base Podcast:"

"I think one guy that stands out for me is Bobby Witt Jr. He goes about his daily activities and doesn't worry about everybody wondering about Bobby Witt Jr.. He doesn't want to stand out.

"He just leads by example, and I think he's sort of falling into that same mold of George Brett to where George George never really wasn't one of those who always went, 'Hey, this is George Brett,' kind of attitude."

Boggs, who started his MLB career with the Red Sox and made 13 consecutive All-Star games, believes the Royals star's understanding of the game comes from his father, Bobby Witt, a former major league pitcher.

"I think Bobby Witt Jr. understands the game because of his dad," Boggs said. "He's been around the game, understands players and this is how you get the job done. And for me, I just enjoy watching him play."

Bobby Witt Jr. acknowledges American League rival's greatness

Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best infielders in the game and when the Royals shortstop was asked his ideal infield, excluding his teammates, Witt Jr. included Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez as his third baseman.

“I like the way Jose Ramirez plays the game,” Witt said. “Hate we’re always playing against him but he plays the game the right way, plays hard. He’s an All-Star but he’s a little underrated All-Star.”

Bobby Witt Jr. named MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh as his catcher, Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as his first baseman and Brendan Donovan at third.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash