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Kansas City Royals: Every top five draft pick in Royals history

By Leigh Oleszczak

OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 7: Yamaico Navarro #24, Alcides Escobar #2, Brayan Pena #27, Eric Hosmer #35 and Mike Moustakas #8 of the Kansas City Royals joke around in the dugout prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 7, 2011 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Royals 7-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 7: Yamaico Navarro #24, Alcides Escobar #2, Brayan Pena #27, Eric Hosmer #35 and Mike Moustakas #8 of the Kansas City Royals joke around in the dugout prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 7, 2011 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Royals 7-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /
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‘Mags and TV Call for Price’! Kansas City Royals ALEX GORDON poses for a portrait on Dec. 4, 2006 in a field in his hometown of Lincoln, Neb. (Photo by Albert Dickson/Sporting News via Getty Images)
‘Mags and TV Call for Price’! Kansas City Royals ALEX GORDON poses for a portrait on Dec. 4, 2006 in a field in his hometown of Lincoln, Neb. (Photo by Albert Dickson/Sporting News via Getty Images) /

ROYALS TOP FIVE PICKS IN MLB DRAFT

2005 – ALEX GORDON (SECOND OVERALL)

After going 0 for 5 on all of their top five draft picks, the Kansas City Royals finally struck gold when they selected Alex Gordon second overall in the 2005 MLB Draft. Gordon was a hometown hero for the Nebraska Cornhuskers during his collegiate career and picking him was a no-brainer.

Things didn’t look like they were going well early in Gordon’s career. We all remember him striking out with the bases loaded in his first-ever MLB at-bat. Gordon made his debut in 2007 and struggled during his first four years as a pro ballplayer.

Gordon was looking so bad that Dayton Moore finally made the decision to send him back to the minors in 2011 and have him learn a new position. You see, Gordon was a third baseman during his time at Nebraska, but wasn’t doing well there in Kansas City.

His new position of left field suited him much better, as we’d later learn. Six Gold Glove awards, one Platinum Glove award, and one World Series title later, and it’s more than safe to say that Alex Gordon was worthy of that second overall selection.

Gordon re-signed with the Royals after his initial contract expired and then made the difficult decision to retire following the 2020 season. There’s no debating that Gordon is one of the best Royals ever.

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