JBJ was a youth travel ball opponent of my son's and our team's, going back to fall 1998, and he was always fun to watch. The first time I ever saw him play, he was the catcher for a youth team called PG Gold -- the only guy they had who could handle the position at that tender age! He progressed to SS by high school, but I think everyone realized his future lay in the OF. He and my son became teammates for a couple of years, 2005-06, and we got to see him all the time there for a while. Time flies; he's 33 now, so I suppose it's fair to say his career may be winding down. But his career earnings are over $50 million, so ... it's been a wonderful ride for him and his family!
I do think KC is a long way from being a contender. The silver lining is that it presents a great opportunity for some young bucks to get a lot of playing time. They aren't languishing in AAA wondering when they'll get their shot. Their future is in their own hands.
Witt hasn't nearly hit his ceiling yet. He has a rare combination of speed, athleticism and power, so I'm guessing he'll be the face of that franchise for as long as they can hold onto him. BTW his father, the former MLB pitcher, was born in VA, and I seem to recall the closer had a brother (current player's uncle) who did some MLB scouting in our area once upon a time. So maybe we'll claim Witt, too? Haha