Kansas City Royals: 11 defining moments from past decade
By Cullen Jekel
Player of the Decade
It came down to Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez, but Gordon gets the nod due to playing more and putting up more consistent numbers.
The Kansas City Royals drafted Alex Gordon way back in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft with the No. 2 overall pick out of nearby Nebraska. He debuted in 2007, but spent a good chunk of both 2009 and 2010 in the minor leagues.
By 2011, he had reinvented himself as the team’s everyday left fielder, and blossomed into one of the league’s best at the position, winning seven Gold Gloves in the decade.
And he wasn’t bad with the bat, either, as between 2011-2015, his OPS consistently ranked above the league-average. Never that much of a power threat, Gordon hit at least 20 homers twice, in 2011 and 2013, while consistently collecting more than 25 doubles per season.
He also came up big in some key spots, too.
After winning the World Series in 2015, Gordon tested the free agency waters before returning to the Royals on, essentially, a four-year deal, which just expired.
Age seemed to catch up to him in 2016 and 2017, as his average dipped under .210 and he hit only nine homers one season, but he rebounded in the back half of the contract, winning another two Gold Gloves while finishing with respectable OPS+ figures.
Gordon’s time in Kansas City could be over. If he continues playing, I certainly hope it’s with the Royals. Regardless, though, he is the Kansas City Royals Player of the Decade.