MESA, Ariz. -- Three years into his Major League career, Bobby Witt Jr. has already had 2,035 regular-season plate appearances. That’s a lot of chances to make an impression.
But when it comes to your wedding, you only get one chance to hit it out of the park.
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With the AL MVP finalist set to tie the knot with fiancée Maggie Black on Dec. 14 in Texas, he sent out epic baseball card-themed invitations to his side of the wedding party. Royals teammate MJ Melendez gave the baseball world a glimpse into the intricate design.
But as any member of a wedding party knows, when you want the details, go straight to the best man -- Angels prospect Logan Britt.
“It was pretty sick because I saw MJ Melendez’s card and he had a picture of them playing in Kansas City,” Britt said of his reaction to the cards. “Ours was actually a photo taken in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, when we were 13. I'm sitting on a bucket and he's sitting next to me. He's got the mullet rocking back in the day, so that was pretty funny.”
Much like Witt’s dedication to his mullet, his bond with Britt hasn’t wavered. The two met as youngsters on the hyper-competitive Texas baseball scene, with the Witt family offering a young Britt a spot on a travel ball tournament roster in Florida.
“I got to go on a family vacation with his family to the Bahamas and we've been friends ever since,” Britt said. “Just a nutty, super humble, great guy to be around. He's just a goofball and he's a friend I'll have for life.”
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It’s fitting that the two first bonded in the Bahamas, since Witt brought his group there for his bachelor party. Britt got to meet many of the groomsmen -- Nick Pratto, Vinnie Pasquantino, Kyle Isbel, Melendez -- during a previous visit to Kansas City to see Witt a few years back, but this was their first chance to unwind and bond before the nuptials.
The wedding party also includes Witt’s three brothers-in-law, all of whom are former big leaguers -- Zach Neal, James Russell and Cody Thomas -- and another player with a Colleyville (Texas) High School connection: the Braves’ AJ Smith-Shawver.
Kansas City chose Witt second overall out of Colleyville in 2019, with Britt going as a 35th-round choice of the White Sox due to his strong commitment to Texas A&M. (He chose not to sign with Chicago.) Smith-Shawver, the club’s No. 2 prospect and No. 97 overall, was a seventh-round pick of Atlanta in 2021.
Despite the rigors that pro ball creates, Witt and Britt have been able to stay in close contact throughout the years. They still live about half an hour from one another in Texas during the offseason.
Witt’s Minor League career was short-lived as he skyrocketed through the Royals system. Britt eventually transferred to Abilene Christian, where he starred offensively, but hung up his bat for the pitcher’s mound when the Angels selected him in the 17th round of the 2023 Draft. The 24-year-old outfielder-turned-hurler is getting extra time to hone his craft in the Arizona Fall League, with eyes on one day joining Witt up at the game’s highest level.
“I think it's been great for us,” Britt said. “We both kind of went different directions -- he went pro ball, I went to college, so we were both playing baseball. I think the offseason is good for us. We get to just be boys again -- play golf, mess around, do whatever.”