Kansas City Royals: Top Ten Catchers In Team History

Kansas City Royals mascot at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The toughest players to rank on this list are the two at the top. They accumulated their stats in much different ways. Mike MacFarlane, whom is ultimately ranked second, put up his numbers over time.

MacFarlane was a consistent performer for the Royals eleven season. He not only has the most home runs by a Royals catcher, by far, but he ranks 13th in franchise history in home runs. He also has the most games of any catcher for the Royals and the most plate appearances.

His best year came in 1993 when he set career highs in home runs (20), RBI (67), and On Base Percentage (.360). He was an important cog for the Royals for most of the 1990’s, and he earned this spot in the countdown.

• Second in Home Runs – 103
• Second in Runs Scored – 361
• Second in Runs Batted In – 398
• Fifth in Stolen Bases – 9
• Fifth in Average – .256
• Fourth in On Base Percentage – .327
• Second in Slugging Percentage – .439
• Third in Wins Above Replacement – 14.2

Considering that MacFarlane ranks first among catchers for the Royals in four of those categories, and second in another, how in the world is he not the top ranked catcher in team history? Quite simply, while he was a steady producer for years, his best year in 1993 was barely above average.

He did earn a WAR of 3.4 in 1993, but that was the only time in his career, according to Fangraphs, that he was over 2.7.

MacFarlane was a fine, solid Royal for many years, and wholly deserves this spot. In the 2001 revised version of The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, Mike MacFarlane was ranked as the 84th best catcher EVER in the Major Leagues. He is just number two here, but he a true Royal.

Next: An Incredible Four Seasons