We would like to welcome you to a new series here at Royals Blue. We will continue to post segments breaking down the 300 best players to ever play for Kansas City. There will be some familiar names, some not so familiar, and probably a few surprises along the way.

These are the Top 300 Kansas City Royals Players ranked in descending order. Each player's ranking is based on the Modified Production Index Formula (MPIF). Position players and pitchers, respectively, have a formula that is used to rank their overall contribution to the Kansas City Baseball Franchise in their Royals' career. The position player and pitching formula are located HERE.

And we have finally made it to the END! The following players, ranked from #15 to 1, have biographical and statistical information about their tenure in Kansas City.

RANK #15 – ALEX GORDON (#4) – Left Field (2007-2016)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 3,741.70

645th Royals Player in Franchise History

Alex Gordon was a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2005. Gordon was the Golden Spikes Award winner in 2005 as the top collegiate baseball player and named Minor League Player of the Year in 2006. He was made the opening day third baseman position on April 2, 2007 for his major league debut. Gordon only hit .247 in his rookie year, but drove in 15 home runs and made 14 stolen bases. In 2008, Gordon’s batting average rose to .260 with 16 home runs, but he was having troubles at third base. He had the worst fielding percentage of any third baseman in the American League and he he led the club for the second year in a row in strikeouts. He missed a month, starting in mid-August, due to a torn muscle injury. In 2009, his struggles continued until he injured his hip in mid-April and was on the disabled list for twelve weeks.

Gordon started the 2010 season on the disabled list again and was demoted to AAA Omaha in early May. While in Omaha, he began playing left field and returned to the Royals when David DeJesus was placed on the DL. Gordon still struggled at the plate and finished the season hitting .215. Gordon made a miraculous turnaround in 2011. Now playing in left field, he was second on the team with 185 hits and a batting average of .303. He drove in 23 home runs and stole 17 bases. He was second in the major leagues in doubles with 45 and first in the league in assists from the outfield with 20.

Gordon, along with Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur made up the best fielding outfield in baseball. He earned his first Gold Glove of his career. In 2013, Gordon’s batting average dropped to .265, but he hit 20 home runs and had six triples. He had two grand slams during the season. The first was on April 25 against the Detroit Tigers and the second was on July 2 against the Cleveland Indians. He was chosen to represent Kansas City in the 2013 All-Star Game. In 2014, Gordon led the team in RBIs and home runs with 74 and 19, respectively. He was selected to his second All-Star team. His offensive number for the season were down from the previous year, although he went on a tear in August, hitting nine home runs. Gordon helped lead the Royals to their first playoff appearance in 29 years. He was also the best fielding outfielder on the best defensive team in the major leagues.

In the playoffs and the World Series of 2014, Gordon displayed his outstanding defense and drove in 11 runs with only a .204 batting average. Gordon was the last batter to hit for the Royals in Game 7 against the San Francisco Giants, but was unable to get home in the ninth inning. He did, however, win another Gold Glove for left field in the American League as well as the American League Platinum Glove as the best defensive player in the league. Gordon also won the coveted Hutch Award for fighting spirit and competitive desire. In 2015, Gordon continued to be one of the best outfielders in baseball.

He was ultimately picked to be the starting left fielder for the American League All-Star team before a groin injury sidelined him for the game and the months of July and August. Gordon came back in September to help the Royals back to the World Series. In Game One of the World Series with the Royals down to the New York Mets 3-4, Gordon hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings. The Royals ultimately won the game in 5-4. He helped the Royals win their second World Series title in five games. As of 2015, Gordon is hitting .269 as a member of the Kansas City Royals. He is seventh all-time in innings at third base with 2,805 and first all-time in left field with 6,821 1/3. He is still playing for Kansas City

RANK #14 – LARRY GURA (#32) – Starting Pitcher (1976-1985)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 3,793.81

107th Royals Player in Franchise History

Larry Gura was traded from the New York Yankees to the Kansas City Royals for Fran Healy in May of 1976. It was mentioned in book “The Bronx Zoo” that Gura was traded because New York manager Billy Martin saw him playing tennis and did not like the game, so he traded Gura away. Gura’s start with the Royals was shaky, pitching an ERA of 7.71 in his first five appearances.

The Royals continued to work on his form and he missed the entire month of June. By the first of August, he began to pitch brilliantly. On September 29, 1976, Gura pitched his first complete game shutout of the Oakland Athletics. He started two games against his former team in the 1976 ALCS, having a 0-1 record with a 4.22 ERA. In 1977, Gura pitched in 52 games with six starts. He earned 10 saves on the season with a record of 8-5. His ERA was very respectable at 3.13. Despite spending the majority of the season in the bullpen, Gura pitched another complete game shutout on August 4, 1977 against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, Gura struggled in the 1977 ALCS by giving up four earned runs in only two innings pitched in two appearances. His 1978 season was brilliant. He went 16-4 with a 2.72 ERA, sixth best in the American League.

He made one winning start in the 1978 ALCS against the Yankees, giving up only two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. His ERA slipped in 1979 to 4.47, but still managed a 13-12 season. In 1980, Gura was masterful from the mound, having a career high 18 wins on the season and a 2.95 ERA. He also had a career high 16 complete games with four shutouts during the season. This included two consecutive shutouts of the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays on April 25 and April 30, respectively. His April 30 outing was a one-hitter. He was selected to the 1980 All-Star Game, but did not have an opportunity to pitch. Gura also had the best fielding percentage of any pitcher in the American League, a title he would hold for three of the next four years. He pitched a complete game victory against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 1980 ALCS and started two games of the 1980 World Series.

Despite having a World Series ERA of 2.19, Gura did not earn a decision. In 1981, Gura continued to pitch well in the strike-shortened season with 12 of his 23 starts being complete games. For the second time in his career, Gura had 18 wins in a season in 1982. By 1983, time began to wear on Gura. He lost a career-high 18 games as well as posting a career-high 4.90 ERA. Things went from bad to worse in 1984 when his ERA shot up to 5.18 despite having a winning record. In 1985, Gura was sent to the bullpen, but the writing was on the wall by the third appearance. Gura was released from the Royals in May and was picked up by the Chicago Cubs. Larry Gura finished his career with the Royals fifth all-time in innings pitched with 1,701 1/3. He had a 111-78 career record, 12 saves and seven holds. Larry Gura was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1992.

RANK #13 – BRET SABERHAGEN (#18) – Starting Pitcher (1984-1991)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,008.45

203rd Royals Player in Franchise History

Bret Saberhagen was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1982. He made his major league debut with the Royals on April 4, 1984, pitching 4 2/3 innings in relief of the aging Paul Splittorff. In his first season with the Royals, Saberhagen split time as a starter and relief pitcher. He made 18 starts and 20 relief appearances, earning a 3.48 ERA with 73 strikeouts. He also made a start in the 1984 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers, going eight innings without a decision. In 1985, Saberhagen became a full-time starter for the Royals. In that season, Saberhagen became only the fourth pitcher in franchise history to win at least 20 games in a season. He had a 2.87 ERA with 158 strikeouts. His best game that season came on May 17, 1985 when he pitched a 3-0 complete game shutout of the Milwaukee Brewers. He had the the lowest WHIP of any pitcher in the league.

He started two games in the 1985 ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, but only pitched a 6.14 ERA without a decision. His moment came in the 1985 World Series. He started Game 3, pitching a complete game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, only giving up one earned run in nine innings. Then, he started the pivotal Game 7, pitching a masterpiece complete game 11-0 shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals, bringing home the World Championship to Kansas City. He was named Cy Young Award Winner for the season and World Series MVP of 1985. Unfortunately, his 1986 season proved to be the worst of his career. He only had a 7-12 record with an ERA of 4.15. The 1987 season became his comeback season, posting an 18-10 record with 3.36 ERA. He became the first starting pitcher since Steve Busby in 1975 to pitch in the All-Star Game. To date, he is the only Royals pitcher to start an All-Star Game. In 1988, Saberhagen lacked run support and his losing record of 14-16 did not reflect his favorable 3.80 ERA.

The 1989 season proved to be the best of his career. Saberhagen won a club-record 23 wins in the season, the best in the American League. He was first in the league in innings pitched, WHIP, and complete games. He won his second Cy Young award with 99% of the vote. He also won the American League Gold Glove for pitchers. His 1990 season started off just as good as the previous year. He was selected once again to the All-Star game and became the first Kansas City Royals pitcher to earn a win in the mid-season classic.

Unfortunately, he pitched only one game after the all-star break before becoming injured. He would not return until late September of that season. In 1991, Saberhagen continued to pitch very well, posting a 3.07 season ERA. On August 26, 1991, Saberhagen pitched the fourth no-hitter in Royals history, blanking the Chicago White Sox 6-0 with five strikeouts. After the 1991 season, Saberhagen was traded, along with Bill Pecota, to the New York Mets in exchange for Keith Miller, Gregg Jefferies and Kevin McReynolds. It became one of the most unpopular trades in Royals history. Saberhagen is third all-time in complete games with 64 and fourth all-time in shutouts with 14. His career ERA of 3.21 is one of the best of a starting pitcher in Royals history. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2005.

RANK #12 – KEVIN APPIER (#55) – Starting Pitcher (1989-1999, 2003-2004)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,056.39

274th Royals Player in Franchise History

Kevin Appier was a first round draft choice in 1987. He made his major league debut with the Royals on June 4, 1989. By 1990, Appier was part of the starting rotation. On July 7, 1990, Appier gave up a hit to Lou Whitaker of the Detroit Tigers in the first inning. He went on to pitch a one-hit game, defeating the Tigers 4-0. It placed Appier on the map as one of the best pitchers in baseball. He ended the season with the fourth best ERA in the American League at 2.76, the lowest by a rookie starting pitcher since 1976. With that, Appier won Rookie Pitcher-of-the-Year.

In 1991, Appier pitched two consecutive shutouts. The first was on August 7 against Boston and the second was the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees. In 1992, Appier finished the season with a 2.46 ERA, second only to Roger Clemens. The 1993 season was by far his best with an 18-8 record and an ERA of 2.56. On July 27, Appier pitched a losing effort to Texas 1-0, giving up just one hit (a homerun) in the game. From August 28 to September 23, Appier pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings, a new club record and not broken until Zach Greinke did it over two seasons with 38 scoreless innings.

Despite having the best ERA in the league, he finished third in the Cy Young Award voting behind Chicago’s Jack McDowell and Seattle’s Randy Johnson. In the strike-ridden 1994 season, Kevin Appier and David Cone, the 1994 Cy Young winner, were the major league’s best pitching duo. In 1995, Appier’s first half of the season was brilliant with a 11-2 record and a 2.02 ERA. He was picked to pitch at the 1995 All-Star Game, but lost out the starting role to Randy Johnson. He finished the decade as the third best pitcher in all of baseball, behind Atlanta’s Greg Maddux and Boston’s Roger Clemens.

After the 1997 season, Appier slipped and fell in a freak accident and injured his shoulder. He would only pitch in three games in the 1998 season. His return to baseball was not quite the same. In 1999, his ERA rose to 4.87. On July 31, 1999, the Kansas City Royals traded Appier to the Oakland Athletics for Blake Stein, Brad Rigby and Jeff D’Amico. Appier would play for three other teams before being re-signed by the Royals in 2003 after being released by the Anaheim Angels. Appier only pitched two games in 2004 before announcing his retirement from baseball. Appier is fourth all-time in Royals history for innings pitched with 1,843 2/3. He had 32 complete games with 10 shutouts in his career. He holds the team record for strikeouts with 1,458, 92 more strikeouts than the next pitcher.

His overall record was 115-92 and is fourth all-time in wins. Despite not having the accolades of other pitchers of his era, Appier is now considered to be one of the greatest pitchers of the latter half of the 20th Century. In 2011, Kevin Appier was elected to the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.

RANK #11 – MIKE SWEENEY (#29) – First Base (1995-2007)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,439.42

389th Royals Player in Franchise History

Mike Sweeney was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1991. He made his major league debut on September 4, 1995. He only played four games. In 1996, Sweeney was brought up from AAA Omaha in mid-July as a backup catcher by replacing the struggling Sal Fasano. He hit .279 with four home runs splitting time between catcher and designated hitter. He continued as a backup catcher into the 1997 season. In 1998, Sweeney split time evenly with Sal Fasano for the top catching spot. But in 1999, Sweeney made a radical change of position. After the sudden retirement of Jeff King, Sweeney took the job.

As first baseman, he had the best fielding percentage at the position in over 20 years for the Royals. He led the team with a .322 batting average and was second in the American League in doubles with 44. On May 14, 1999, Sweeney hit his first grand slam of his Royals career against the Seattle Mariners. In 2000, he improved his performance by hitting .333 with 29 home runs and 144 RBIs. He led the league in being hit by a pitch with 15. He was selected to the first of five All-Star Games as a first baseman. Sweeney continued his success in 2001 by leading the team in home runs with 29 and walks with 64. Sweeney was known as a deeply religious man and had a reputation as one of the nicest players in baseball.

However, on August 11, 2001, Sweeney asked the umpire to have the Detroit Tigers pitcher Jeff Weaver move the rosin bag. Weaver put his glove to his mouth and, according to Sweeney, said something offensive about his faith. Sweeney stormed the mound and a bench-clearing brawl ensued. Sweeney was suspended for 10 days due to the incident. In 2002, Sweeney had the best season of his career. He hit the second-best batting average in Royals history of .340, only behind George Brett’s .390 average from 1980.

Sweeney ended in second place for the batting title behind Boston Red Sox player Manny Ramirez. On August 14, 2002, Sweeney made only the fifth steal of home plate in Royals history. He also led the American League in assists from first base with 105. In 2003, he spent seven weeks on the disabled list due to back problems, the first of many that he would be plagued with for the remainder of his career. Prior to his injury on June 7, 2003, during the first game of a doubleheader, Sweeney hit his second grand slam against the Colorado Rockies.

During the 2004 season, Sweeney began to play more and more as a designated hitter. On July 22, 2004, Sweeney hit his third grand slam against the Detroit Tigers. His season ended in late August due to recurring injuries. In 2005, Sweeney played the majority of the season as a designated hitter for the first time in his career. He hit .300 on the season with 21 home runs. Sweeney’s injuries became more severe and he was restricted to only 60 games in 2006, all of which were as a designated hitter. In 2007, he continued to spend a lot of time on the DL.

He still continued to play hard when he was able and he became only the second Royals player ever to win the Hutch Award, given to a major league player who”best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire.” Sweeney was released at the end of the season and went on to play for the Oakland Athletics. Mike Sweeney is one of the best players in Royals history. He hit more than 20 home runs for six seasons and hit over .300 in five seasons. Sweeney is sixth all-time in at bats and games played, hitting .299 in his career. He is second all-time in home runs, only to George Brett, with 197. He is third all-time in games as a designated hitter and third all-time in innings player at first base with 4,717. In 2015, Sweeney was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame.

RANK #10 – DAN QUISENBERRY (#29) – Closing Pitcher (1979-1988)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,459.04

140th Royals Player in Franchise History

Dan Quisenberry signed as a non-drafted free agent in 1975. He made his major league debut on July 8, 1979. He was a setup man for closer Al Hrabosky, but toward the end of the season, Quisenberry took on the role of closer. In spring training of 1980, new Royals manager Jim Frey convinced Quisenberry to change his delivery to a side-arm like that of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kent Tekulve. It completely changed his career. In 1980, he pitched a league-high 75 games, with 68 game-finishes. He set a new Royals record with a league-leading 33 saves and had an amazing 12-7 record as a relief pitcher.

He pitched in every game in the 1980 World Series in relief, but recorded a 5.28 ERA and a 2-1 record. He became the first Royals pitcher to win the American League Rolaids Relief Award as the top closer in the league. In the strike-shortened season of 1981, he recorded only 18 saves and was eclipsed by future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers. But in 1982, he was back on top as the premier closer in the American League. He led the American League from 1982 to 1985 in saves each year. Because of his era, Quisenberry’s closing appearances were usually more than one inning, much different than the modern-day one-inning closers. In 1983, his ERA was 1.94 and he set a major league record, for the time, of 45 saves. He won the American League Rolaids Relief Award four years in a row from 1982 to 1985. In 1984, Quisenberry came in third in the American League MVP Award. He was in the top three in votes for the American League Cy Young Award from 1982-1985. He also became the first pitcher in major league history to record two consecutive 40-save seasons.

In the year that the Royals won the World Series, Quisenberry pitched an astounding 84 games. He had several pitches in his repertoire which eluded batters, including a sinking fastball, curveball, changeup and occasional knuckleball. Quisenberry was not known as a strikeout pitcher, rather a pitcher that would force batters to hit the ball down and keep it on the field. By 1987, age and the wear on his arm began to take its toll. He began to share closing duties with re-acquired Royals pitcher Gene Garber. By 1988, he had been reduced to a middle relief role before being released by the Royals in mid-season and picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals. Quisenberry is second only to Jeff Montgomery in all-time saves for the Royals. Quisenberry established himself as one of the greatest closing pitchers in major league history. He had a career ERA of 2.55 and 51-44 record in 573 appearances with the Royals. Quisenberry pitched a franchise-record 920 1/3 innings of relief in Kansas City and was one of the most liked players to ever play for the Royals. Quisenberry was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1998 while he was battling brain cancer. He died shortly after the ceremony.

RANK #9 – MARK GUBICZA (#23) – Starting Pitcher (1984-1996)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,468.62

205th Royals Player in Franchise History

Mark Gubicza was selected in the second round of the 1981 draft. The pick was originally for St. Louis, but it was given to Kansas City in compensation for signing Darrell Porter. He made his major league debut on April 6, 1984 in a start against the Cleveland Indians. Gubicza went 10-14 in his rookie season with the Royals. As a rookie, he was second on the team to Buddy Black in strikeouts with 111. In 1985, he had his first winning season with a 14-10 record in 28 starts. He made one start in two appearances in the 1985 ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 3.24 ERA. However, manager Dick Howser opted to have a four-man starting rotation in the World Series and Gubicza did not appear. Gubicza continued to improve as a starter. In 1986, he went 12-6, striking out 118. He led the American League with the fewest home runs given up by a starting pitcher.

In 1987, his workload increased to starting 35 games, pitching 10 complete games, and striking out 166 in 241 2/3 innings. His best year came in 1988 when he became only the fourth pitcher to win 20 games in a season (Bret Saberhagen would repeat the feat in 1989). He had an astounding 2.70 ERA with 183 strikeouts. He became one of the top pitchers in the American League during the season and was selected to the 1988 All-Star Game, pitching two scoreless innings. His success continued in 1989, again pitching in the All-Star game, earning a 3.04 ERA with a league-leading 36 starts.

The next three years became tough for Gubicza due to injuries. Gubicza had pitched more innings in the previous four years than any other pitcher in the American League. Between 1990 and 1992, Gubicza’s ERA shot up to 4.71 with a record of 20-25. He had surgery in 1991 to repair a torn rotator cuff. To help him recover, Gubicaz was moved to the bullpen in 1993, making only six starts in 49 appearances. In 1994, Gubicza was placed in the starting rotation again, starting 22 games with a 7-9 record in the strike-shortened season. However, in 1995, Gubicza had a comeback year. He was healthy again and became the Royals #2 starter in the rotation. He only had a record of 12-14 due to poor run-support, but his ERA was more reflective of the old-Gubicza at 3.97. Time took its toll on Gubicza in 1996, only pitching in 19 games with a 4-12 record.

He was traded at the end of the season to the Anaheim Angels, along with Mike Bovee, in exchange for designated hitter Chili Davis. Gubicza is second all-time, behind Paul Splittorff, in innings pitched with 2,218 2/3. His career ERA was 3.91. He pitched 42 complete games with the Royals with 16 shutouts. He is third all-time in wins for the Royals with 132. He was one of the best fielding pitchers in baseball, four times having the best fielding percentage of an American League starter. In 1988, he finished third in the Cy Young Award voting behind Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley and Minnesota’s Frank Viola. In 2006, Gubicza became the eighth Kansas City pitcher to be inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame.

RANK #8 – DENNIS LEONARD (#22) – Starting Pitcher (1974-1986)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,646.57

96th Royals Player in Franchise History

Dennis Leonard was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1972. He made his major league debut on September 4, 1974 and would play his entire career in Kansas City. In his rookie season of 1975, Leonard had the third best win-loss record in the American League at 15-7 He started 30 games and had a 3.77 ERA. In 1976, Leonard led the team in wins with 17 and pitched 16 complete games. His 150 strikeouts during the season helped the Royals clinch their first-ever playoff berth against the New York Yankees.

Unfortunately, he had an extremely poor showing with only 2 1/3 innings pitched in two starts and gave up five earned runs. In 1977, he became one of the best pitchers in baseball and earned a 20-12 record with a 3.04 ERA. He was second in the league in strikeouts with 244 and fourth in the league in innings pitched with 292 2/3. He was fourth in the Cy Young Award voting for the season. He was a work horse in 1978, leading the league with 40 starts, 20 of which were complete games. His 3.33 ERA was one of the best in the league. For the second straight season, Leonard was a 20-game winner with a record of 21-17. The 1979 season was an off-year for Leonard, pitching only a 4.08 ERA and a 14-12 record. In 1980, Leonard helped lead the Kansas City Royals to their first-ever World Series with his third 20-win season in four years. His ERA of 3.79 and 155 strikeouts made him one of the most feared pitchers in the league.

During the strike-shortened 1981 season, Leonard still managed to pitch over 200 innings and lead the league in innings pitched and games started. By 1982, the volume of innings pitched began to take its toll. He missed all of June and July due to knee injuries. His ERA skyrocketed to 5.10. On May 28, 1983, Leonard went down with a torn patellar tendon. He missed the rest of the season. In 1984, he began pitching again when he had a setback that forced him to miss the entire 1984 season. Leonard spent long days rehabilitating and was finally able to pitch two innings late in 1985, but was unable to play in the playoffs that season. Leonard finally made his comeback in 1986. He started 30 games, had an 8-13 record and a 4.44 ERA.

For his efforts in the comeback, Leonard was given the Hutch Award in 1986. He retired at the end of the season. Leonard holds the record for the most complete games in Royals history with 103 and shutouts with 23. He is third all-time in innings pitched with 2,187 and second only to Paul Splittorff in wins with 144. He is the only three-time 20-game winner in Royals history. Dennis Leonard was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1989.

RANK #7 – JEFF MONTGOMERY (#21) – Closing Pitcher (1988-1999)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 4,692.33

258th Royals Player in Franchise History

Jeff Montgomery was traded to the Kansas City Royals by the Cincinnati Reds for a minor league player in 1988. Montgomery was made a middle relief pitcher behind closer Steve Farr. He posted a 7-2 record, six holds and one save in his first season. His pitching abilities were recognized and he started to share the closing duties with Farr and posted 13 holds and 18 saves during the 1989 season with an amazing 1.37 ERA. Farr left the Royals after the season and Montgomery would take over the full-time duty of closer for the Royals.

He made a career-high 73 appearances in relief with 24 saves in 94 1/3 innings pitched. On April 29, 1990, Montgomery became only the 23rd pitcher in major league history to strike out three batters in an inning on nine pitches during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers. He was also known as a very good fielding pitcher during this period, having no errors. He continued to improve as a closing pitcher. He had 33 saves in 1991 and 39 in 1992. His ERA was 2.55 during this period with 72 saves. He was selected to pitch in the 1992 All-Star Game in San Diego. The 1993 proved to be the best of his career. He tied a club record of 45 saves in a season and tied for first in saves in the American League. He had a 2.27 ERA, 66 strikeouts in 69 appearances. He was against selected to pitch in an All-Star Game and was the 1993 American League Rolaids Relief Awards winner.

His performance began to diminish over the next three seasons. His ERA during this period rose to 3.89 and he averaged only 27 saves a season. He showed some improvement in 1996 when his innings per game were shortened to just one inning of relief per game and his ERA dropped to 3.49. He was honored by being selected to his third All-Star Game, but he did not pitch. In 1998, despite having a 4.98 ERA, Montgomery posted 36 saves for the season, sixth in the American League. His age was really taking its toll in his final season. He started sharing closing duties with Scott Service. His ERA shot up to a lofty 6.84 and he decided to retire. Montgomery pitched in more games than any other Royals pitcher in history with 686 appearances. He is the all-time saves leader for the Royals with 304 in 543 game finishes. Despite having a win-loss record of 44-50, his ERA of 3.20 is one of the best in Royals history. In 2003, Montgomery was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame.

RANK #6 – WILLIE WILSON (#6) – Center Field (1976-1990)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 5,277.45

112th Royals Player in Franchise History

Willie Wilson was a first-round draft choice of the Kansas City Royals in 1974. He made his major league debut on September 4, 1976. Between 1976 and 1977, Wilson only made 25 appearances late in the season, primarily as a pinch runner. By 1978, Wilson was ready to be the opening day leadoff batter in left field for the Royals, behind the leadership of veteran center fielder Amos Otis. He started the 1978 season hot, posting a .291 batting average by the end of April. The rest of the season was a free fall for Wilson, finishing with a .217 batting average with 46 stolen bases. He made three appearances in the 1978 ALCS against the New York Yankees. In 1979, Wilson had an amazing season with a .315 batting average. On June 9, 1979, Wilson became the first Royals player to hit two home runs in a game from both sides of the plate against the Milwaukee Brewers.

He stole multiple bases in 16 games and finished first in the major leagues with 83 steals during the season. He led the American League with 148 singles and a 87.37% stolen base average. He became known as the fastest man in baseball. In 1980, Amos Otis began the season on the disabled list and Willie Wilson started in center field before moving back to left field at the end of May. Wilson played in 77 games with five or more at bats and finished the season with a major league record 705 at bats out of 745 plate appearances.

On September 18, 1980, Wilson stole second and third base in the same game and set the American League record, at the time, of 28 consecutive stolen bases without being caught. He hit .326 and led the American league with 230 hits, 133 runs scored and 15 triples. He hit a solid .308 in the ALCS against the Yankees, but fell flat in the World Series with a .154 average. For his regular season efforts, Wilson won a Gold Glove Award and Silver Sluggers Award. His hitting and baserunning continued to be a major asset for the Royals for the next couple of years. In 1982, Wilson won the American League Batting Title by hitting .332 for the season and lead the league in triples with 15. He also won his second Silver Sluggers Award as well as being selected to his first All-Star Game appearance.

His offensive production slipped between 1983 and 1984, but still managed to steal 106 bases during that period. He was also picked to play in the 1983 All-Star Game. On June 29, 1983, Wilson became the full-time center fielder for the Royals with the demotion of Amos Otis. After the 1983 season, Wilson found himself involved in a drug scandal along with Willie Aikens, Jerry Martin and Vida Blue, becoming the first active major league players to serve jail time. The Baseball Commissioner suspended Wilson for the 1984 season, but it was reduced to just a 40 games. Wilson was the only player in the scandal that was not traded or released. In 1985, he was the second-best fielding center fielder behind Cleveland’s Brett Butler. Wilson hit .339 in the postseason with four stolen bases to help the Royals win their first World Series. Wilson continued to play well, leading the league in triples in 1987 and 1988 and batting .270. In 1990, he was the best outfielder in baseball, having played without a single error.

After the 1990 season, Wilson signed with the Oakland Athletics. Wilson had 612 stolen bases in Royals history, placing him 12th in the major leagues since World War II. Wilson is second all-time in triples with 133. He is third in innings played in left field with 4,928 1/3 and second as a center fielder with 9,154 2/3. He has a Royals-record 11 inside-the-park home runs. Wilson was inducted in the the Royals Hall of Fame in 2000.

RANK #5 – FRANK WHITE (#20) – Second Base (1973-1990)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 5,310.25

78th Royals Player in Franchise History

Frank White is one of the greatest second basemen in the modern era of baseball. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 1970 and went to play for the short-lived Royals Baseball Academy. He made his major league debut on June 12, 1973 and played his entire 18 seasons in the major leagues with the Kansas City Royals. He broke into the majors primarily as a shortstop, but by 1974 started playing backup second base to Cookie Rojas. In 1975, he continued to play a utility infield role as shortstop and second baseman to the aging Freddie Patek and Cookie Rojas. He hit his first grand slam on June 25, 1975 in the 12th inning while playing the California Angels.

In 1976, White replaced Rojas as the opening day second baseman for the Royals. He quickly became the most unpopular player on the Royals team because Rojas was a fan-favorite. However, it was clear that White was special. He quickly established himself as one of the best defensive second basemen in the major leagues. Despite hitting only .229 in his first season as a starter, White stole 20 bases and hit 46 RBIs. In 1977, White was still only hitting .245, but his defensive skills at second base were excellent. He won the first of his franchise-record eight Gold Gloves at second base. He is currently tied for third all-time in Gold Gloves at second base in baseball history. In 1978, White started to add more power to his offense, hitting .275 with seven home runs. He was picked to his first All-Star game in 1978. In 1979, White continued to improve his offense and was voted a starter at the All-Star Game.

In 1980, he was hitting .264. White was awarded the 1980 ALCS MVP award, hitting .545 in three games against the New York Yankees to help the Royals earn their first trip to the World Series. White hit his second grand slam in 1981 against the Baltimore Orioles. He was picked to be in his third All-Star Game in 1981. He would be picked again to play in the summer classic in 1982 and 1986. In 1982, his batting average was the best of his career at .298 and he continued to dazzle at second base. On August 3, 1984, White hit his third grand slam against the league-leading Detroit Tigers. By 1985, White had become a power-hitting second baseman with 22 home runs in both 1985 and 1986. His defensive skills helped the Kansas City Royals win the World Series in 1985. During the 1985 season, he hit his fourth grand slam against the New York Yankees.

On May 15, 1986, he hit his fifth grand slam against the Cleveland Indians. He won the Silver Slugger Award for second base in 1986. His offensive production began to wane between 1987 and 1989. He was still one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball. By 1990, however, age had caught up with Frank White and he began sharing second base duties with Steve Jeltz and Terry Shumpert. White announced his retirement and his last game was on September 30, 1990 against the Anaheim Angels. White played 17,809 1/3 innings at second base, more than any other Royals player at any single position in the history of the franchise. Frank White was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1995 and his jersey number is retired. In 2009, a bronze statue of White was erected outside Kaufmann Stadium alongside statues of George Brett, Dick Howser and Ewing & Muriel Kaufmann.

RANK #4 – PAUL SPLITTORFF (#34) – Starting Pitcher (1970-1984)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 5,497.49

51st Royals Player in Franchise History

Paul Splittorff was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1968. He made his major league debut on September 23, 1970. After only two appearances in 1970, Splittorff was called up from AAA Omaha in June of 1971 and inserted into the starting rotation. In his first start, Splittorff earned the win against the Washington Senators at home after giving up only one run in 7 2/3 innings pitched. He had three complete game shutouts in his first season and pitched an amazing 2.68 ERA in 22 starts. In 1972, he went 12-12 with a 3.12 ERA. He proved to be the best fielding pitcher in the American League, leading in fielding percentage and fifth in fielding assists.

The next season proved to be his breakout season. His ERA rose to 3.98, but he became the first pitcher in Royals history to have a 20 wins. He also had a career-high 140 strikeouts in the season. He was named the 1974 opening day starter for the Royals, but he had a reversal of fortune when he only went 13-19 on the year with a 4.10 ERA. Splittorff continued to struggle into 1975 with an ERA of nearly 5.00 before he was demoted to the bullpen. After Royals manager Jack McKeon was fired, new manager Whitey Herzog gave Splittorff a second chance in the rotation. In his second start for Herzog, Splittorff pitched a complete game shutout of the World Champion Oakland Athletics 5-0, retiring 23 batters in a row. His dramatic turnaround late in the season of 1975 dropped his ERA back down to 3.17 for the season.

In 1976, Splittorff struggled early, but bounced back by mid-season. He missed the month of August due to a finger injury, but returned just in time to help the Royals win their first playoff berth against the New York Yankees. He went 1-0 in two starts against the Yankees in the playoffs with a 1.93 ERA. The next two seasons, Splittorff pitched with great composure and effectiveness. He was picked to start Game One of the 1977 ALCS against the Yankees. As a left-handed pitcher, he gave the New York left-handers a lot of trouble. So much so that the Yankees benched Reggie Jackson in the game Splittorff pitched. In 1978, he won 19 games and place seventh in the Cy Young balloting. His 1979 season was a down year for Splittorff and he only pitched a 15-17 record for the season.

There was slight improvement in 1980 for Splittorff and he helped lead the Royals to their first-ever World Series. However, manager Jim Frey removed him from the starting rotation and Splittorff only made one appearance in relief against the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 23, 1981, Splittorff pitched 11 innings of shutout baseball against the Minnesota Twins. The Royals eventually won the game 1-0 in 15 innings. In 1982 and 1983, Splittorff developed back problems and his form began to falter. By 1984, he was demoted to the bullpen and, after pitching in only 12 games, announced his retirement at the end of June. Paul Splittorff pitched more wins than any other Kansas City pitcher in franchise history with 166. He had a career 3.81 ERA. Both his 88 complete games and 17 shutouts are second in Royals history only to Dennis Leonard. He pitched more innings than any other player in Royals history with 2,554 2/3 and faced 10,829 batters. Splittorff proved to be an excellent fielding pitcher for the Royals with a team-record 37 pickoffs and only 15 errors. Splittorff played his entire major league career for the Kansas City Royals and was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1987.

RANK #3 – HAL MCRAE (#11) – Designated Hitter (1973-1987)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 5,636.94

72nd Royals Player in Franchise History

Hal McRae is one of the greatest designated hitters in baseball history. McRae was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Kansas City Royals for Roger Nelson and Richie Scheinblum in 1972. His career with the Royals began as a right fielder for about 60% of his games. He struggled in his first season with the Royals, only hitting .234 with nine home runs. In 1974, McRae’s playing greatly improved. He played 90 games as a DH and the rest of the time platooning in the outfield. His batting average shot up to .310 with 15 home runs and 88 RBIs. McRae’s batting average was third in the league. On September 26, 1974, McRae hit his first grand slam against the California Angels. In 1975, the Royals acquired future Hall-of-Fame player Harmon Killebrew and McRae was moved to left field for the majority of the season while Killebrew took the role of designated hitter.

He was selected to play left field in the 1975 All-Star Game. The 1976 season was one of his finest seasons. McRae led the league in on-base percentage with .407. He had a 175 hits and was selected to the All-Star Game again. However, the entire baseball world was watching his race for the batting title with fellow teammate George Brett. In the final weeks of the season, Brett would win out by less than .001 percent. He finished the season with a .332 batting average, 22 stolen bases and helped the Royals to their first-ever postseason appearance. He also finished fourth in the American League MVP voting. McRae played every single game in 1977 and led the league in doubles with 54. He was known as the most aggressive base runner in baseball in the 1970s. McRae homered in the 1977 ALCS against the New York Yankees in Game 1. In 1978, he became a full-time DH for the Royals.

He was second in the league in doubles with 39 and led the team in hits with 170. He missed most of June and all of July with an injury in 1979, but continued to hit well for Kansas City. In 1980, his .297 batting average and 14 home runs helped the Royals to the World Series. He was the only member of the Royals with World Series experience, having been in the 1970 and 1972 Series’ with the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .375 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 World Series and had a lot of playing time because it was a DH year for the Series. He continued as DH through to the 1982 season, when he was selected to the All-Star Game. On July 6, 1982, he hit his second grand slam off John Tudor of the Boston Red Sox. He led the league with 158 games as DH and won the 1982 Silver Slugger Award for the position. He also led the league in doubles with 46 and RBIs with 133.

Between 1982 and 1983, McRae continued his tear with a .311 batting average and 41 doubles. Between 1984 and 1986, the Royals made a decision to platoon the DH position between McRae and Jorge Orta. It became one of the greatest hitting DH-duos in baseball history. McRae helped lead the Royals to their second World Series in 1985, but was prevented from playing very much because the it was not a DH year. In 1987, McRae’s role on the team was reduced to pinch hitter. Still hitting .313, McRae decided it was time to retire and he played his last game on July 17, 1987. McRae is the all-time leader in plate appearances as DH with 5,917. He had a career .293 batting average with the Royals and second only to George Brett in doubles. He hit 169 home runs while in Kansas City. He won the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award in 1976, 1980 and 1982. McRae went on to become Royals manager and was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1989.

RANK #2 – AMOS OTIS (#26) – Center Field (1970-1983)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 6,124.43

40th Royals Player in Franchise History

Amos Otis was part of the first great trade in Royals history. He was traded by the New York Mets to the Kansas City Royals, along with Bob Johnson, in exchange for third baseman Joe Foy. Otis was the opening day center fielder for the Royals in 1970. He became the most productive offensive player for the young Kansas City Royals team. He hit .284 with 33 stolen bases and 11 home runs in his first season.

He led the American league in doubles with 36 and was third in triples with nine. He had the best stolen base percentage in the league. He reached base by walk or by hit 136 out of 159 games he played in 1970. He was the first Royals player to actually play in the All-Star Game in 1970. His throw in the 12th inning of the All-Star Game to catcher Ray Fosse is one of the most memorable moments in All-Star Game history as he was trying to throw out Pete Rose. In 1971, fielding abilities earned him the first of three Gold Gloves for center field. He was selected yet again to play in the All-Star Game.

He led the American League stolen bases with 52, hit a season .301 batting average and drove in 15 home runs. His 52 stolen bases out of 60 attempts set a major league percentage record for the time. On September 7, 1971, Otis stole five bases against the Milwaukee Brewers, one shy of the major league record for a nine-inning game. Otis would be in the top ten players in the American League in batting average, runs scored, and stolen bases between 1971 and 1973. He scored the last-ever Royals run in the old Municipal Stadium in 1972. In 1973, he led the team, along with John Mayberry, in home runs with 26.

He had the first-ever hit by a Royals player in the new Royals stadium. Otis had a bit of a slump due to injuries in 1975, batting only .247 with nine home runs. However, he still managed to steal 39 bases and set the major league record for the most steals in two consecutive games with seven between April 30 and May 1. But in 1976, he came alive again with a .279 batting average and leading the American League in doubles with 40. He helped lead the team to its first-ever playoff berth. Fans would chant “Ayyyyyy – Ohhhhhh …. Ayyyyyy – Ohhhhhh” whenever he came up to bat or was in the outfield. Otis severely injured his ankle in the first game of the post-season and was forced to miss the rest of the series. In the offseason, the Royals wanted to trade Otis and Cookie Rojas to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he vetoed the decision due to the “10 and 5 Rule”. In 1978 and 1979, Otis was the top center fielders in the game. On April 18, 1978, Otis hit his first grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1980, he helped lead the Kansas City Royals to their first-ever World Series.

Against Philadelphia, Otis hit .478 with three home runs. However, by the 1980s, Otis’ speed waned and he played a little less in the outfield. On April 9, 1982, Otis hit his second grand slam off of Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris. By 1983, Otis became a backup outfielder to Willie Wilson in center field and split time in right field with Pat Sheridan. Finally, after the 1983 season, Otis was released by the Royals and he went on to play one more season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Otis played 15,478 innings in center field, more than any other player in any single position in Royals history other than Frank White at second base and George Brett at third base. He is third all-time in hits by a Royals player with 1,977. Otis is second all-time in runs scored, fourth in doubles, third in triples, third in home runs, and second in stolen bases. Otis had five inside-the-park home runs. In 1986, Amos Otis and Steve Busby were the first two Royals players inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.

…and finally, the #1 player in Kansas City Royals history (as if there was any question):

RANK #1 – GEORGE BRETT (#5) – Third Base (1973-1993)

PERFORMANCE INDEX: 9,437.76

83rd Royals Player in Franchise History

Of course… was there any doubt? George Brett is the greatest baseball player in Kansas City history and one of the greatest in the history of baseball. Brett played his entire 21 year career with the Kansas City Royals. He was selected in the second round of the 1971 draft. Brett made his major league debut on August 2, 1973. By 1974, Brett would replace Paul Schaal as the everyday third baseman. In his first full season, Brett did well, hitting .282 with only two home runs and 47 RBIs. By the 1975 season, Brett established himself as one of the best third basemen in the game. In 1976, won his first batting title by a razor-thin margin over teammate Hal McRae, hitting .333.

During the season, Brett set a major league record by having at least three hits in six consecutive games between May 8 and May 13. His last hit of the season that gave him the title was an inside-the-park home run. He would become the only major league player to win the batting title in three different decades. His second was in 1980 and his third was in 1990. Brett was selected to 13 All-Star games, nine of which he was a starter at third base. In 1980, he became the closest baseball player to hit .400 since Ted Williams did it in 1941. As part of his march toward .400, Brett went on a 30-game hitting streak that lasted from July 18 to August 19.

Brett was a patient batter who had a career 1,096 walks with 908 strikeouts. He holds the team record for intentional walks with 229, leading the league in the category twice. Brett hit .337 in his postseason career and was a .292 hitter in his all-star game appearances. Brett won the American League MVP and Hutch Awards in 1980, was named the 1985 ALCS MVP and came in second in the AL MVP Award in 1976 and in 1985. Brett won the Silver Sluggers Award for third base in 1980 and 1985 and won the award for first base in 1988. Brett won his only Gold Glove Award in 1985 for third base.

Brett entered baseball lore due to an incident on July 24, 1983 at Yankee Stadium when he hit a home run in the top of the ninth inning, only to be called out because it was ruled that he used too much pine tar on the bat. The “Pine Tar Incident” is now legendary in baseball history. He helped lead the Royals to their first World Series Championship in 1985. In 1986, Brett won the coveted Lou Gehrig Memorial Award for character and integrity on and off the field. In 1988, Brett made a dramatic move by leaving third base to play at first to make room for the rookie Kevin Seitzer. In 1991, Brett abandoned first base to play most of his time at DH.

His last hit of the game off of pitcher Tim Fortugno was the 3,000th of his career. His final at bat on October 3, 1993 was a single to center field. He was later driven in by a home run by fellow teammate Gary Gaetti which helped the Royals defeat the Texas Rangers. George Brett had 2,044 hits as a third baseman, the second-most in major league history next to Wade Boggs. He hit a total of 3,154 hits, and is ranked 16th all-time. In 1994, he was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame and his jersey #5 was retire. In 1999, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York by the fifth highest vote margin in history. He is sixth in major league history with 665 doubles, trailing only Tris Speaker, Peter Rose, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb and Craig Biggio. Only three other players in history, Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, accumulated 3,000 hits, 300 home runs and had a career .300 batting average. A statue of Brett is displayed outside Kaufmann Stadium to honor him and his accomplishments. Brett is the face and spirit of the Kansas City Royals. -RANKINGS 16-30

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