Determining the New Face of the Royals

Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Gordon

More than anyone else on the Royals, Gordon may be the ultimate example of perseverance and embodiment of the Royals franchise. A former top prospect, Gordon appeared to be on the verge of flaming out spectacularly, going from a can’t-miss third baseman to someone who someone who was sent back to AAA to learn another position to try to save his career. As it turns out, that switch to left field did just that.

Pros: A three time Gold Glove winner, Alex Gordon‘s ability to throw out opposing baserunners has become legendary. No one runs on him any longer, and when some player foolishly tries to get that extra base, all one can do is shake their head. Like Perez and Holland, Gordon is a two time All-Star, making the squad not just for his defense, but his all around game. While he may not light up the stat sheet, Gordon is still in the top ten in the American League in WAR, and may be the best left fielder in baseball. Oh, and he wants to stay in Kansas City.

Cons: It is difficult to find any reason why Gordon should not be the Face of the Royals. Perhaps the only concern is that he may well leave after the 2016 season, leaving his reign as the heir of George Brett as potentially short lived. Yet, like Perez, Gordon would certainly seem to be a worthy candidate.

As the longest tenured player on the Royals, Alex Gordon has turned himself into one of the best players in baseball through hard work. That would certainly give Gordon a legitimate case for the title.