The 24 best players in Kansas City Royals history

Third baseman George Brett is easily the best player to ever take the field in a Kansas City Royals uniform. The Glen Dale, WV native spent his entire 21-year career with the Royals and the club's record books are littered with his name. In 2,707 career games, Brett slashed .305/.369/.487 with 317 home runs, 1,596 RBI, 665 doubles, 137 triples, and 201 stolen bases. He won three batting titles and led the American League in hits and triples three times each, as well as doubles twice. Brett represented the Royals in an astounding 13 all-star games, won three Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, and most impressively was the MVP of the AL in 1980. He was the best player and offensive leader on Kansas City's World Series winning team in 1985, and while the Royals don't retire many numbers, Brett's number 5 simply could not be worn by another player and the club took it out of circulation in 1994. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. 

Right-hander Kevin Appier spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Royals, and later even returned to Kansas City to finish his career in the place where it began. The Lancaster, CA native was not appreciated nearly enough by Royals fans while he wore the team's colors, but in retrospect, it's easy to see why he's the highest pitcher on this list. In 287 outings for Kansas City (275 of which were starts), Appier pitched to a 3.49 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP in 1,843.2 innings. He earned 115 wins, was an all-star in 1995, won the ERA title in 1993, and gave KC over 200 innings seven times. For most of his career he was admittedly not an ace, but for over a decade Appier gave the Royals a reliable, consistent, and most importantly effective, middle-of-the-rotation starter. 

Center fielder Amos Otis was acquired by the Royals in a 1969 trade with the Mets, and he'd go on to become arguably the most accomplished outfielder in franchise history. In 14 seasons with Kansas City Otis slashed .280/.347/.433 with 193 home runs, 992 RBI, 365 doubles, 65 triples, and 340 stolen bases. He represented Kansas City in five all-star games, won three Gold Gloves at one of the most important positions on the diamond, and twice led the American League in doubles. 

Switch-hitting outfielder Willie Wilson played for the Royals for 15 seasons, and for the majority of that time, his blazing speed was among the most potent offensive weapons in the American League. In 1,787 games with the Royals, he slashed .289/.329/.382 with 414 extra-base hits, 509 RBI, and a franchise record 612 stolen bases. Wilson led the AL in triples four different times in 1979 paced the Majors with an incredible 83 stolen bases, and swiped more than 40 bags in six different years. Wilson won the batting title in 1982, was selected to two all-star games, won a Gold Glove, took home two Silver Sluggers, and most importantly helped the Royals win the World Series in 1985. 

Chicago Heights, IL, native Bret Saberhagen debuted with the Royals as a 20-year-old rookie in 1984 and eventually developed into one of the most recognizable names in the organization's history. In 252 appearances for Kansas City (226 of which were starts), Saberhagen earned 110 victories and pitched to a stellar 3.21 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP in 1,660.1 innings. During the late 1980's there simply was not a better starting pitcher in the American League, as the righty won the Cy Young award in both '85 and '89, won an ERA title, made a pair of all-star games, and even won a Gold Glove. As just a 21-year-old in 1985 Saberhagen was the best pitcher on the AL's best team and was arguably the biggest reason Kansas City edged St. Louis in the World Series. During the '85 Fall Classic, he fired two complete games while allowing only one run, and he was the obvious choice to be named series MVP. Saberhagen is not currently in the Hall of Fame but has quite the resume, and perhaps he'll earn entry into Cooperstown at some point. 

Right-hander Mark Gubicza was the Royals 2nd round pick in the 1981 draft coming out of the William Penn charter school in Philadelphia, and he would eventually develop into one of the most accomplished pitchers in team history. Gubicza spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Kansas City, pitching to a 3.91 ERA across 382 outings. He earned 132 victories, struck out 1,366 hitters in 2,218.2 innings, and gave the team 42 complete games--including 16 shutouts. He was selected to two all-star games, tossed over 200 innings for the Royals four times, and most importantly was an important member of the team's pitching staff when they won the World Series in 1985. 

Second baseman Frank White spent his entire 18-season career with the Royals and was a consistent yet somewhat unheralded contributor for this team for nearly two decades. In 2,324 career games--2nd to only George Brett in club history--White slashed .255/.293/.383 with 160 homers, 886 RBI, 407 doubles, 58 triples, and 178 stolen bases. He represented Kansas City in five all-star games, earned eight Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, and was one of the most important players on a Royals team that won the World Series in 1985. Kansas City retired his number 20 in 1995--the same year he was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame--and today there is a statue of the fan-favorite outside of Kauffman Stadium. 

Kansas City drafted University of Nebraska-Lincoln third baseman Alex Gordon 2nd overall in the 2005 draft, a pick that was quite obviously a major boon for the organization. Gordon spent his entire career with the Royals and put together one of the most impressive resumes in team history. In 1,753 games with KC, he slashed .257/.338/.410 with 190 home runs, 749 RBI, 357 doubles, 26 triples, and 113 stolen bases. He represented the club in three straight all-star games from '13-'15, led the Majors with 51 doubles in 2012, and impressively won eight Gold Gloves, including two Platinum Gloves--all of which came after the Royals moved him to left field. Gordon helped Kansas City win two straight AL pennants in 2014 and 2015 and earned a World Series ring in the latter year. 

Over the past decade there has simply not been a better two-way catcher in the American League than Kansas City's Salvador Perez. Since 2013 Perez has represented the club in eight all-star games, won five Gold Gloves, and took home four Silver Sluggers. He helped the Royals win the American League in '14 and the World Series in '15--a Fall Classic in which he was named series MVP. In 2021, the 33-year-old led the Majors in both home runs (48), and RBI (121), and 12 years into his career he's showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Perez will undoubtedly climb much higher on this list before his career is over, and there's a strong likelihood that no other Royals player will ever be handed the number 13.

The Royals took right-hander Zack Greinke 6th overall in the 2002 draft, and all the Orlando, FL native has done since then is become one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation. During his first stint in Kansas City, Greinke nearly won the AL Rookie of the Year award, fired at least 200 innings three times, earned an ERA title, and most impressively won the AL Cy Young award in 2009. He then moved on to Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Arizona, and Houston and was consistently be among the best starters in the league in all of those cities. But a pretty cool moment in the veteran's career was when he decided to return to Kansas City in 2022. Greinke endured a rough 2023 season in what most expected to be his farewell tour, but in all honesty there was essentially nothing he could do that would harm his legacy, and he'll have a strong case for Cooperstown when he hangs up his spikes for good. 

The Royals acquired outfielder Hal McRae in a November 1972 trade with the Cincinnati Reds in a transaction that rather quickly swayed heavily in Kansas City's favor. In a decade and a half with the Royals McRae slashed a strong .293/.356/.458 with 169 homers, 1,012 RBI, 449 doubles, 63 triples, and 105 stolen bases. He was selected to three all-star games, won a Silver Slugger, led the Majors in doubles twice, and paced the big leagues with 133 RBI in 1982. Late in his career McRae was also instrumental in the Royals World Series championship in 1985, and for that he'll always be remembered fondly in northwest Missouri. 

Iona product Dennis Leonard spent his entire career with Kansas City and was a valuable asset in the middle of this team's starting rotation for over a decade. Leonard took the mound for the Royals 312 times (302 of them were starts) and earned 144 victories while pitching to a 3.70 ERA in 2,187 innings. He somewhat surprisingly never qualified for an all-star team despite hurling over 200 innings seven times, leading the league in both wins and innings once, and finishing in the top seven in the AL Cy Young voting twice. 

Righty Dan Quisenberry spent 10 years pitching out of the Kansas City bullpen, and for much of that time was one of the most valuable closers in the American League. The Leawood, KS native took the mound for the Royals 573 times and worked to an excellent 2.53 ERA across 920.1 innings. He led the AL in appearances three times, games finished four times, and led the league in saves five out of six years from '80-'85. Quisenberry was selected to three all-star teams, won five Rolaids Relief Man of the Year awards, and incredibly for a reliever finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting five different times. Most importantly, he was the closer on Kansas City's World Series-winning team in 1985. 

Puerto Rican-born center fielder Carlos Beltran debuted for the Royals as a 21-year-old rookie late in the 1998 season and was essentially an instant star. The switch-hitter blasted 22 homers and drove in 108 runs as a true rookie in '99 and was easily named American League Rookie of the Year. In his entire seven-year Kansas City tenure Beltran slashed .287/.352/.483 with 123 long balls, 516 RBI, 156 doubles, 45 triples, and 164 stolen bases. He wore a Royals cap in the first of his nine all-star game appearances, played in all 162 of KC's contests in 2002, and drove in over 100 runs in all of his full seasons with the team. Today, Beltran is remembered much more for his high-profile tenure with the Mets, but let's not forget just how dynamic he was with the Royals early in his career. 

From one popular Royals center fielder to another, checking in next on the list is right-handed swinging Lorenzo Cain, who for seven years was an important part of some really good Kansas City teams. In 713 games with the organization, Cain slashed a terrific .289/.342/.421 with 217 extra-base hits, 308 RBI, and 120 stolen bases. He never won a Gold Glove while with the Royals but that says more about the competition in the outfield during his era, because the eye test would tell you Cain was an elite defensive player at a premium position. He made the all-star team in 2015, the same season the Royals defeated the Mets in the World Series, and the affable Valdosta, GA native will always be remembered fondly in Kansas City. 

Right-handed swinging Mike Sweeney was one of the best pure hitters of his era, and for 13 seasons the Royals were lucky to have him on their side. In 1,282 games with Kansas City the Orange, CA native slashed .299/.369/.492 with 197 home runs, 837 RBI, 297 doubles, and 50 stolen bases. He made the American League all-star team in five out of six seasons from 2000-2005, launched 20 or more homers for KC six times, and drove in over 100 runs in both '99 and '00. Perhaps most relevant to his time with the Royals, Sweeney was a renowned good guy and leader, and was actually the first Kansas City player to ever wear a C on his jersey as the team's captain. 

Southpaw Paul Splittorff spent his entire 15-year career with the Royals and was a huge piece of the team's equation on the mound for a decade and a half. In 429 outings for Kansas City (392 starts), Splittorff won 166 games and pitched to a 3.81 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP in 2,554.2 innings. He gave Kansas City seven different seasons of over 200 innings, reached double digits in wins 10 times, and finished 7th in the AL Cy Young voting in 1978. 

Left-hander Charlie Leibrandt came to Kansas City in a trade with the Reds midway through the 1983 season, and while he didn't debut for the Royals until the following season, he quickly showed his new fan base that he was worth the wait. In 194 outings with Kansas City Leibrandt earned 76 victories and worked to the tune of a 3.60 ERA in 1,257 innings. The Chicago, IL native was a model of consistency during his time with the Royals, making over 30 starts four times and logging more than 200 innings four times as well. Leibrandt never made an American League all-star team, but he was an incredibly valuable part of this team's rotation for a long time, and helped the Royals win the World Series in 1985. 

Big first baseman John Mayberry came to Kansas City in a December 1971 trade with the Astros, and the left-handed slugger instantly became a huge part of his new team's offensive attack. In 897 games with the Royals, Mayberry slashed .261/.374/.448 with 143 home runs, 552 RBI, 139 doubles, 10 triples, and 16 stolen bases. Mayberry represented Kansas City in a pair of Midsummer Classics, drove in over 100 runs for the team three times, and led the American League with a .417 on-base percentage in 1973. His son, John Mayberry Jr. would also play in the Major Leagues, suiting up for the Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mets across a seven-year career of his own. 

University of Marshall product Jeff Montgomery pitched in 14 games for the Reds in 1987 before being traded to Kansas City where he would spend the rest of his career. With the Royals the right-hander blossomed into one of the better relievers in the American League during the 1990s. In 686 appearances for Kansas City, he delivered a strong 3.20 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP in 849.1 innings while striking out 720 hitters and registering 304 saves. He represented the Royals in three all-star games, led the league in saves once, and was given one Rolaids Reliever of the Year award. 

Shortstop Freddie Patek was incredibly small in stature, at 5'5 and 148 pounds. But that did not stop him at all from being a steady contributor for the Royals for most of the 1970s. In nine seasons with Kansas City, Patek slashed .241/.309/.321 with 251 extra-base hits, 382 RBI, and 336 stolen bases. He was selected to represent the Royals in a trio of all-star contests, led the league in triples once, and in 1971 finished sixth in the American League MVP voting. 

Lefty Danny Duffy is not retired and is currently in the Texas Rangers organization, but to date, he's never thrown a Major League pitch for a team other than the Royals, with whom he spent parts of 11 mostly successful seasons. In 234 career outings (205 of which were starts) Duffy owns a lifetime 3.95 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP in 1,172.1 innings. Injuries were always a bugaboo for the Goleta, CA native, and too much time on the injured list is the primary reason he never logged over 200 innings. That's not to say Duffy wasn't an important member of this pitching staff, however. For over a decade he filled a variety of roles for this team, and he earned a World Series ring with Kansas City in 2015. 

Southpaw Larry Gura arrived in Kansas City via a trade with the Yankees that sent catcher Fran Healy the other way, and he'd go on to spend nearly a decade in northwest Missouri. In 310 outings with the Royals (219 starts), the Joliet, IL native earned 111 victories and posted a 3.72 ERA across 1,701.1 innings. Gura fired over 200 frames for Kansas City five times, made the American League all-star team in 1980, and finished in the top nine of the AL Cy Young voting three times. 

Left-handed swinging outfielder David DeJesus was drafted by the Royals in the 4th round of the 2000 draft coming out of the University of Rutgers, and while he was never a star, he quickly developed into a solid role player for Kansas City. In 876 games with the team DeJesus slashed .289/.360/.427 with 293 extra-base hits, 390 RBI, and 47 stolen bases. The Brooklyn, NY native was consistently a good contact hitter and a tough out, and he led the American League by getting hit with 23 pitches in 2007.