NEW YORK -- As recently as Thursday night, as the Royals trekked up from Baltimore to New York via train, Bobby Witt Jr. was watching Derek Jeter highlights.

First, because Witt is a baseball fan, and growing up in the 2000s, Jeter was Witt’s “guy.”

But he was also preparing for what’s about to come when the Royals take on the vaunted Yankees in the American League Division Series beginning Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

“[Seeing] how the stadium is, how the fans are,” Witt said. “Just wanted to kind of just take it all in perspective.”

Witt talked highly about the atmosphere in Baltimore during the AL Wild Card Series, particularly the boos he heard from Orioles fans packed into Camden Yards. Witt and his Royals swept them in two games, in part because of Witt’s two game-winning hits in his first two career postseason games.

That atmosphere is going to reach an entirely new level when the Royals take the field Saturday in the Bronx.

“Everyone talks about playoff baseball in New York,” Witt said. “So it's going to be pretty special just being out here and hearing the crowd, how much history is behind here and everything. Just going to take it all in and enjoy it.”

• Experience key for ALDS Game 1 starter Wacha

Witt grew up a Red Sox fan and idolized Dustin Pedroia, but Jeter was also his “guy,” Witt said, because what kid who grew up in the 2000s didn’t want to be Jeter or pretend to be the Hall of Fame shortstop in backyard baseball games?

Witt’s jersey number in high school was No. 17 because he added Pedroia’s No. 15 and Jeter’s No. 2. He still has a Pedroia jersey and Jeter jersey hanging on the wall in his childhood bedroom at his parents house in Colleyville, Texas.

The Royals shortstop wears No. 7 now. He’s become a household name in Kansas City and beyond after putting together an MVP-caliber year. But he’s still trying to emulate Pedroia and Jeter in his own game.

• 'Have fun': Salvy giving teammates same advice he received in '15

“How they just played the game hard,” Witt said. “And how they always would rise up to the occasion when needed.”

From the moment he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2019, Witt has had the pressure of an organization, of a city, on his shoulders. When he debuted and showed that he was worth every bit of the prospect hype, the expectations rose. When he signed his mega contract extension ahead of his third year in the big leagues this past offseason, by far the most lucrative deal in Royals history, the expectations went through the roof.

Witt has met them at every level.

• Brett thrilled to rekindle KC-NYY rivalry that once was 'pure hatred'

Now he faces the biggest challenge yet against the Yankees in the Bronx. The lights are brighter, and the moment has become much bigger. He’s the hitter the Yankees have their attention on the most.

• Royals-Yankees position-by-position breakdown

“He just has all the attributes,” Yankees Game 1 starter Gerrit Cole said. “He's a creative player. He has power, speed, defense, throwing arm. He covers all parts of the strike zone. Hits for average. Doesn't chase a whole lot. What's there not to like?”

Added Yankees manager Aaron Boone: “Just the complete player that he is. Obviously, he plays a premium position at a high level at short. His speed is second to none maybe. I think he's as fast as there is, which shows up on the basepaths. He's obviously got great bat to ball [skills], on base, hits for average, and then he's got thump in there, too. He's one of the game's great players. He's a handful and certainly a guy that has our attention.”

• What one 'silly' joke tells us about Royals' veteran leadership

How will Witt rise to occasion this time? By enjoying it.

“I haven't seen him change one bit,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “ I think everything that's put on his shoulders is a positive thing and well deserved. At the end of the day, he's a really grounded person, and I think he understands that attention is going to come his way. And it's OK to be positive, to understand that it's OK to accept compliments and it's OK to know that he doesn't have all the answers, either.

“He's going to continue to grow. He doesn't ever proclaim anything like he's got it figured out. He's still growing and learning and trying to be the best teammate he can be.”

On Saturday, Witt will get to run out to the same spot Jeter occupied, something that gave him “chills” when he thought about it. Except Witt will be trying to end the Yankees’ postseason run early -- and continue writing the Royals’ magical 2024 story.

When he was asked Friday whether he felt like the Royals were underdogs or overlooked because they’re facing the Yankees, Witt shrugged.

“Not really,” he said. “We know who we are. We're the Kansas City Royals. We do our thing. We can't control any of that stuff. We just really control what we can and go about our own business.”