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Kansas City Royals: Two Royals Make List of Top 100 Players for 2017

By Leigh Oleszczak

May 2, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) visits the mound to talk with relief pitcher Danny Duffy (41) in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Kauffman Stadium. Washington won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) visits the mound to talk with relief pitcher Danny Duffy (41) in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Kauffman Stadium. Washington won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Kansas City Royals don’t have any superstars on their team, but something has been working for this team since 2013. With that said, only two have been recognized as top players this upcoming season by Call to the Pen.

David Hill of Call to the Pen has released his Top 100 players heading into the 2017 season. The top of the list are the guys you’d expect: Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner, etc. These are the superstars of the league.

When it came to the amount of Kansas City Royals on this list, only two made appearances, and neither are ranked higher than 79.

Danny Duffy sits at that 79th spot and Salvador Perez is 98th. I was a little surprised not to see Eric Hosmer make the list, as he’s entering a critical year that could result in him making bank next season.

Duffy and Perez are both solid players for Kansas City though and are arguably the two best Royals on this year’s squad. Duffy was the starter for the Royals’ Opening Day and threw six innings of one run ball while striking out eight batters.

It’s Duffy’s year to be the ace of the KC Royals and he showed that he can fill that role… after one game anyway.

Here’s what Hill wrote about Duffy,

"After the tragic loss of Yordano Ventura, the Royals will need Duffy to continue to show the improvement he had last season. He still needs to approach that 200 inning mark, and to make his way through an entire season without wearing down. But with an offseason to actually prepare as a starter instead of questioning his role, this may be the season he has that awaited breakout."

Danny Duffy has the ability to become the most beloved athlete in Kansas City. He wanted to come back to this city and was inked to an extension this offseason. Duffy loves being a Royal and wanted to be with this team even when they weren’t World Series champions. That’s a rare thing.

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Speaking of beloved athletes, Salvador Perez made the list at number 98.

Perez is one of the best catches in all of Major League Baseball and Royals fans adore him. The Salvy Splash became a city wide phenomenon during the 2015 season and it wouldn’t be nearly as endearing if it weren’t Perez dumping a tub of Gatorade on people. That smile is contagious after all.

Hill had this to say about Perez,

"Perez has become a star while establishing himself as the leader of the Royals. He has made the All Star Game and won the Gold Glove award in each of the last four seasons. Perez has also increased his home run total each season, slugging 22 homers last year for his new career high."

Perez was the World Series MVP in 2015 and he absolutely deserved it. He’s the leader of this team and without Salvador Perez, the KC Royals probably don’t make back-to-back World Series appearances. He’s that vital to this ball club.

What do you think of David Hill’s list? Do you think more Royals should have been included?

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