Kansas City Royals: Top all-time home run hitters
By Joel Wagler
7. . 1B. Kansas City Royals. Steve Balboni. 14. player
Kansas City Royals all-time run leaders: 14. Steve Balboni (119)
As impressive as Bo Jackson’s stretch of four seasons of home run hitting prowess, Steve Balboni had a stretch maybe even more impressive. From 1984 through 1987, Steve Balboni jacked out 117 round-trippers, including the franchise record of 36 in 1985.
Only nineteen times in KC Royals history has someone hit 28 or more homers, and Balboni did it thrice in just four seasons. In his four-year stretch, Balboni hit ten more than Jackson in his four seasons but did have 55 more games, and 191 more plate appearances. This takes nothing away from those great years Balboni put together.
In 1988, Balboni got off to a slow start, hitting just .143 in 21 games, with 2 HR, and just 5 RBI. With George Brett now playing first, the Royals released Balboni in late May. He signed with the Seattle Mariners and went on to hit 21 homers in 397 plate appearances that year.
He went on to hit 34 more home runs over two years with the Yankees, producing 55 more homers after his Royals career ended. If he had started off hot in 1988, maybe the Royals keep him, and maybe Steve Balboni finishes much higher on this list.
Kansas City Royals. Carlos Beltran. 13. player. 7. . CF
Kansas City Royals all-time run leaders: 13. Carlos Beltran (123)
Carlos Beltran is the second biggest “what if” in Royals history. Kansas City traded the former American League Rookie of the Year in June of 2004 after he hit 15 home runs in 69 games for the Royals.
Beltran hit 23 more for Houston that season, giving him 38 total. He then hit 41 in 2005 for the Mets.
If the Royals would not have been so cheap and had they signed him to a long-term deal when they had the chance, who knows where Beltran wold rank on this list.
Since the Kansas City Royals traded Carlos Beltran, he has been named to eight All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers.
If he could have stayed in Kansas City longer, he might be considered one of the absolute greats in team history.
He might have even been the all-time best slugger in team history. Still, Beltran hit 123 home runs in his limited time in Kansas City, and that can’t be ignored. We just wish he had more time in a Royals uniform.