Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top Five Catchers

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1. Darrell Porter (1977-1980, 16.9 WAR)

Darrell Porter was a member of the Royals for only four seasons, but he made a tremendous impact upon the team. Coming over at the beginning of the Kansas City Royals Golden Era, Porter made three All-Star teams and twice finished in the top ten in the MVP ballot during his tenure with the Royals.

It is easy to see why that would have been the case. A very good player throughout his career, Porter had some of his best seasons with the Royals. In those four years, Porter produced a .271/.375/.435 batting line, slugging 61 home runs. While his power numbers were solid, where Porter truly shined was in his ability to draw a walk. During that time in Kansas City, Porter walked 318 times, striking out in only 260 plate appearances.

Defensively, it was obvious that Porter was an offensive minded catcher. While he would occasionally appear among the leaders in a positive defensive category, Porter was typically among the league leaders in passed balls and errors. However, he possessed a strong throwing arm, rating in the top five in caught stealing percentage in both 1979 and 1980.

Even though Salvador Perez is likely to leave Darrell Porter behind in the next couple of years, he still left his mark upon the Royals. For now, Porter remains the top catcher in Kansas City Royals history.