5. Salvador Perez
The Venezuelan was signed as a free agent by the Royals in 2006 to their farm system. Five years later, he would get his Major League debut against the Tampa Bay Rays. After that, he wouldn’t look back. Still playing today for the Royals, his ability as a two-way catcher helped propel the Royals into dominance, winning the World Series in 2015 and being named the series MVP. The nine-time All-Star Award winner currently has 273 home runs, which ranks him second all-time for the Royals, trailing only George Brett at 317. He has a career WAR of 35.5 and is currently the only remaining Royal from the 2015 World Series win.
4. Kevin Appier
Kevin Appier had a devastating fastball and slider, which helped him tally 1,458 strikeouts for the Royals to make him the franchise’s all-time leader in strikeouts. He was drafted by the Royals as the 9th overall pick in the 1987 MLB draft. While he never won a World Series for the Royal Blues, he made his debut for them in 1989 and became one of their premier starting pitchers. He played for them from 1989 to 1999, and then again from 2003-2004. He also had a few stints with the New York Mets and Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels, but his time with the Royals is where he was most well-known. He had a career ERA of 3.74, winning 169 games and amassing a total of 1,994 strikeouts. His career WAR is 55.0, and with the Royals, it was 47.2. He was selected as an All-Star in 1995 and finished third in the voting for the Cy Young Award in 1993.
3. Bret Saberhagen
Bret Saberhagen had what all great pitchers dream of having: the ability to keep your mettle in high-pressure situations. Not many situations are more ‘high-pressure’ than being the starting pitcher for Game 7 of the World Series in 1985. Not only did he win, but he also pitched a complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals, being named the series MVP in the process. The three-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner was one of the greatest pitchers the club has ever seen and was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 2005. He was the youngest Royal to ever win the Cy Young award at age 21. His 2.16 ERA posted in 1989 was the lowest single-season ERA by any Royal starting pitcher in franchise history, and his 23-6 record in the same year is the best single-season winning percentage for a Royals pitcher.
2. Amos Otis
After the Athletics left Kansas City for Oakland in 1967, the Royals arrived in town in 1969 as one of the newest expansion teams. One of the first players and icons of the franchise was Amos Otis, who joined the Royals in 1970 and would stay there for the next fourteen seasons. He played a pivotal part in propelling the Royals into their first postseason appearances, which included multiple division titles and a World Series berth in 1980. He was a complete player, being an elite fielder and clutch hitter, finishing his Royals career with a .280 batting average, 193 home runs, and 340 stolen bases. A 44.8 WAR makes him one of the most valuable players in franchise history, and his five All-Star selections and three Gold Glove Awards would suggest as much.
1. George Brett
There is no question. George Brett is the greatest Kansas City Royal of all time. In his 21-year career spent exclusively with the Royals, he made thirteen All-Star appearances, a Gold Glove in 1985, three batting titles (1976, 1980, and 1990), a World Serie title, and an American League MVP in 1980 — making him one of the greatest third basemen in MLB history. He ended his career with a .305 batting average and 317 home runs — the most in franchise history. He ended on a WAR of 88.6, ranking him third all-time amongst third basemen in the MLB. Of course, nobody can forget the infamous “Pine Tar Incident” in 1983, in which Brett’s go-ahead home run was ruled void because the umpire deemed Brett used too much pine tar on his bat, leading him to storm out of the dugout angrily. After some protest, the home run was reinstated.
