Major League Baseball’s All-Star Break kicked off with a bang Monday night. No, I don’t mean the cacophonous sound of country singer Ingrid Andress’ national anthem, though that was certainly noteworthy. I’m speaking instead of the high drama that ensued between Teoscar Hernandez of the Dodgers and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals in the finals.
Hernandez edged out Witt to become the first Dodger to ever win the Derby, clinching the title after Witt hit a ball to left-center field on his final swing that hit halfway up the wall. If that ball had cleared the fence, the two sluggers would have decided the title via swing-off, as Hernandez had done in the semifinals to beat Alec Bohm of the Phillies.
Fellow Kansas Citian Patrick Mahomes was living and dying with every swing, and despite being a three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and a (checks notes) gazillionaire, his support of Witt once again showed that he is the perfect representative for Kansas City.
Patrick Mahomes’ wholesome support of Bobby Witt shows why Kansas City loves him so much
The picture above was posted by Mahomes’ wife Brittany to Instagram. Let’s analyze it. Mahomes has a solid stance, with his feet wide and his hands on his hips. He’s ready to cheer if Witt crushes one, or sink to the floor in despair if he misses. He’s dressed in shorts and a hoodie, which makes it seem like he either just finished a run or is about to go for one after the adrenaline high of watching Witt. He’s about five feet from the TV, so you know he’s into it. Somehow I pictured Mahomes’ TV being bigger, but that only makes him more relatable.
Besides being the best player in football, Mahomes has been a champion of the Kansas City sports scene. He joined the Royals ownership group in 2020, making him the youngest part-owner of a major sports franchise. That same year, he also became a part-owner of MLS’ Sporting Kansas City. In 2023, he joined his wife as the co-owner of the KC Current of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Mahomes has been a big fan of Witt. In February, he tweeted out “LETS GOOO!! Congrats my man!!!” after Witt signed an 11-year, $288 million contract, so it’s no surprise to see him continuing that support in the Home Run Derby. He also replied to a Jeff Passan tweet predicting the winner of the Derby with one word before the event began: “Bobby.”
Both players are sons of former Major Leaguers, and Witt has followed in Mahomes’ footsteps to become one of the most exciting young players in his sport and a model representative of Kansas City. Mahomes was every Royals fan when he tweeted out “Noooooooooooooooooooo” after Witt’s final swing fell just short, but something tells me he’ll have plenty to cheer about in the years to come.