Kansas City Royals: All-Time Leaders in Runs Batted In

ROYALS ALL-TIME LEADERS IN RBI: NUMBER 8 – ERIC HOSMER (566)

ROYALS FIRST BASEMAN FROM 2011-2017

In the 2008 MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected Eric Hosmer with the third overall pick. Hosmer’s development in the minor leagues was heavily watched by Royals fans, who were waiting for this so-called “Process” to begin.

When Hosmer got his major league call-up in May 2011, it was an event in Kansas City. For younger fans, Hosmer provided the chance to be the next true superstar for the KC Royals, and in a way, he did just that.

Hosmer finished out his decorated Royals career with a slash line of .284/.342/.439 while plotting 566 RBI and crushing 127 home runs. Hosmer made it to the All-Star Game in 2016 where he won the MVP Award after hitting two runs. He also was a four-time Gold Glove winner with the Royals and was named Silver Slugger in 2017.

One of the biggest moments for Hosmer came in the 2014 Wild Card Game. With the Royals trailing and not many outs remaining, he smashed a triple to about as far as he could without the ball going out of the park. Two Athletics outfielders collided, as Hosmer sprinted to third base. From there, the crowd was jacked and Hosmer would later score on a sac fly.

Another moment that could be the biggest by Hosmer was in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series. Hosmer was on third base when Salvador Perez grounded out to first base. Hosmer, having done his homework, knew the Mets struggled with throwing to home, especially in high-pressure situations.

So from third base, he attempted to steal home plate, and he did so successfully. That tied the game up and the Royals would win the World Series several innings later.

While some Royals fans were upset that Hosmer opted to not re-sign with the Royals, he accomplished just about all he could in Kansas City. His contract was all about money and the amount of years offered, so his contract with the Padres made sense.