Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. have the same background. In both, KC teams are chasing titles

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — They were the sons of big league ballplayers and spent the lazy summer days of their youth listening to stories about baseball.

Their fathers were both experienced pitchers – perhaps facing each other once or twice – and moved from team to team as they tried to carve out long and productive careers, even though their children grew up in East Texas and just a few hours apart were.

But at some point The ways of Patrick Mahomes And Bobby Witt Jr. diverged. One left the infield and stepped onto the football field, his first love giving way to his lifelong passion, and the other continued his remarkable path to baseball stardom.

Years later their paths cross again. Mahomes is now the Chiefs' record-setting quarterback, the leader of an undefeated team hoping for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title. And he is part owner of the Royals, who are in their first AL Division Series in a decade thanks largely to an MVP season from Witt, their star shortstop.

She Take on the Yankees in the best-of-five series Starts on Saturday evening in New York.

“We talk quite a bit,” Mahomes told a small group of reporters this week. “I texted him all season and we talked about slow periods, getting into the playoffs and everything like that. That's why I stay in touch, because even though we play different sports, we are also very similar in age. Younger than me, but similar age. We grew up in the same area. And he has the same upbringing as his father, who also plays sports.”

They have formed the kind of bond that rarely exists for the sons of professional athletes: that of a shared background.

Pat Mahomes broke into the big leagues with Minnesota in 1991 when the young right-hander was drafted straight out of Lindale High School. His son was born four years later, and there are pictures of a young Patrick Mahomes in a Twins uniform being held by his father and mother Randi Martin before a game at the Metrodome.

By this point, Bobby Witt had already completed a decade in the big leagues. He began his career with the Rangers in 1986 and then played for six other clubs before ending his career with the Diamondbacks in 2001. Along the way, Bobby Witt Jr. was born – the only son who lived with three daughters in a busy household in Colleyville, Texas.

The fact that they both ended up in Kansas City seems somewhat of a coincidence.

In the case of Mahomes, who starred while in college at Texas Tech, he took over a respected franchise and turned it into a juggernaut. He won his first Super Bowl title in his second year as a starter, and the Chiefs started the season 4-0 Monday night's game against the Saintshe lets them set a third consecutive record.

Drafted second overall by the Royals out of Colleyville Heritage High School, Witt bounced through the minor leagues and broke into the big leagues two years ago. He quickly became the face of a team that had fallen on hard times, losing 106 games a year ago, and helped turn things around with his preternatural maturity and exceptional skills.

Witt won the AL batting title this year as the Royals secured a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Then he drove in both starting runs as they beat them Orioles 1-0 And 2-1 in back-to-back games this week to secure a date with the Yankees.

“This is what you dream about,” Witt said during a champagne party in Baltimore. “I was 15 years old, I dreamed, and now we are here. Now we have that chance, so we have to make the most of it.”

That singular focus on winning? Sounds a lot like Mahomes after every game.

“He has a slow heartbeat. “He understands that the moment isn’t too big,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said of his young superstar. “He's pretty good. His talent is very good. His heart, his faith are very good.”

Almost sounds like Quatraro is describing Mahomes too.

But the parallels don’t stop there. Both players have signed long-term deals with their teams, an unwavering commitment to Kansas City, although they could undoubtedly command more money elsewhere. For Mahomes, it was a 10-year extension with the Chiefs worth $450 million in 2020. For Witt, it was an 11-year contract worth nearly $289 million, signed earlier this year became.

One of the smallest markets in professional sports with two of the biggest stars in their games.

“This is great for the city,” Mahomes said with a smile. “I heard all the stories about how great the environment was the last time the Royals were in the playoffs. And they face a great baseball team – a historic team. I'm happy for these guys. You're hungry. They play great baseball.”

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in Baltimore contributed to this report.

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