Even superstars get nervous sometimes.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt. Jr is one of the most important players on Team USA's World Baseball Classic roster. Witt has already established himself as a superstar at the MLB level, and he was surely an easy choice for manager Mark DeRosa to call when it came to selecting players for the Team USA squad. With all of that being said, it is important to remember that even superstars get nervous sometimes. Bobby Witt Jr. was recently asked about feeling butterflies in the WBC, via MLB Network Radio.
"That first at-bat leading off yesterday (in Team USA's WBC opener), hearing the USA chants... Never forget those moments," Witt said. "It was special, it was amazing. Those are the things you dream of as a kid. And then you get up there, and you're in that situation. It's amazing."
The World Baseball Classic not only gives players the opportunity to represent their countries, but it also allows them to team up with stars from around the sport. Team USA's WBC roster is arguably the best ever constructed in history. Players such as Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes are all on the roster in addition to Witt.
Team USA earned a 15-5 win on Friday against Team Brazil to begin their WBC journey. Witt led off and played shortstop. Hitting leadoff is difficult enough during the season, so one can only imagine the pressure he dealt with on Friday. However, he played at a respectable level. Witt ultimately went 1-5 to go along with a run scored and two walks.
Judge hit a home run in the first inning. The New York Yankees star wasted no time and he ended up finishing the contest with three runs scored and two RBI.
Logan Webb drew the start on the mound and turned in four innings of one-run baseball. Team USA's relievers ended up allowing four more runs to score, but the offense did more than enough in the 15-run outburst.
It was a strong way to begin the tournament. Team USA is the favorite for a reason, as their roster is extremely talented. However, Team Japan and Team Dominican Republic could certainly make things interesting. Of course, Team Japan most recently won the tournament in 2023.
On Saturday night, Team USA is set to play Team Great Britain. Although most people around the baseball world will expect the USA to win, Great Britain is looking to pull off an upset. The Team USA squad will need to be on top of its game in order to get the job done.
Bobby Witt Jr. will look to continue helping matters while batting leadoff for the ball club.