2nd overall pick gets shoutout from NFL MVP

June 4th, 2019

The newest member of the Royals, second-overall selection Bobby Witt Jr., received high praise from MLB.com Draft expert Jim Callis ... in the form of an NFL comparison.

Callis likened Witt to Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, saying the Texas high school shortstop could have the kind of impact on the Royals that Mahomes had on Kansas City's football team.

"I got that comp from a scout. I don't want to out him as a source. I told him I was going to use it on TV," Callis said on MLB Network's Draft broadcast. "A special player, special talent, special makeup, and he can do for the Royals what Patrick Mahomes has done for the Chiefs."

The cross-sport comp garnered the attention of the NFL's Most Valuable Player himself, who tweeted at Witt and the Royals alongside a clip of Callis' remarks.

Witt retweeted Mahomes' post before also sharing his excitement at being drafted by the Royals.

In his sophomore season, his first as the Chiefs' starting QB, Mahomes enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom, passing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and leading the Chiefs to the AFC championship game.

That's a lofty comparison for an 18-year-old who has yet to play in a professional game, but the son of former Major League pitcher Bobby Witt brings quite the pedigree to the Royals' organization. He was rated as MLB Pipeline's No. 2 overall Draft prospect and was the Gatorade 2019 national high school player of the year.

The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Go to MLB.com/Draft for complete coverage, including every pick on Draft Tracker, coverage and analysis from MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft and @MLBDraftTracker on Twitter.