Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top Five First Basemen

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

A new Golden Age of baseball may be dawning for the Kansas City Royals. After decades of frustration, of seeing top players leave either in free agency or in trades that resulted in virtually nothing in return, the Royals may be back. Kansas City has become a destination, as Alex Rios stated that he came to the Royals to make the postseason.

With that 45th anniversary of the Royals inaugural season behind us, it seems like a good time to take a look back over the top players at each position in the Royals past. Last week, we reviewed the top five catchers in Royals history; today, we look at the top five first basemen to don the blue and white.

While the Royals first basemen have been better than the catchers, it has not been by much. However, there may be hope that this can change, especially if Eric Hosmer can put together a season like the latter part of his 2013 campaign. There is certainly plenty of room in the latter half of this list for Hosmer to make a jump.

To compile this list, the Fangraphs list of career Wins Above Replacement was used as a guideline. A minimum of 1000 plate appearances was also used as a guideline, which actually limited the list to all of twelve players, including Ken Harvey and his -2.1 WAR. I was actually surprised it was that low.

At any rate, here is the list of the top five first basemen in Kansas City Royals history. Let us know if you feel someone should be on the list, or if you feel someone should have been ranked higher!

Next: It's Wally's World

credit: blogs.jccc.edu

4. Willie Aikens (1980-1983, 9.2 WAR)

Willie Aikens had a lot of demons in his life. He was suspended for cocaine during his playing career, and afterwards, was busted for selling crack to an undercover police officer. He spent over a decade in prison, but since he came out, has managed to rebuild his life. Now a coach in the Royals minor league system, he even received his World Series ring back 33 years after it was stolen.

And what a World Series that was for Aikens! He cemented his place in Kansas City Royals history, blasting two home runs in two different games. Even though the Royals would go on to lose the series in six games, Aikens did his part, producing a .400/.538/1.100 batting line, driving in eight runs and hitting those aforementioned four bombs.

During his four years with the Royals, producing a .282/.362/.469 batting line with 77 home runs. Aikens hit over 20 home runs twice in those four years, and likely would have had a third season with over 20 if not for the strike in 1981. He was never a great defensive first baseman, but he could hold his own and generally not be an embarrassment in the field.

Aikens was only 28 when his career with the Royals was cut short due to his drug problems. One has to wonder what his career would have been like otherwise. Even with those issues, he still posted the fourth highest WAR at first in team history, and made an indelible impact on the franchise.

Next: A second helping of Country Breakfast

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

3. Billy Butler (2007-2014, 9.6 WAR)

Yes, calling Billy Butler a first baseman is a bit of a stretch, considering his defensive reputation and how he spent most of the latter portion of his career with the Kansas City Royals as a designated hitter. However, Butler did play 394 games at first, and was the Royals first baseman during the month of August when Hosmer was injured.

Even though a lot more was expected of Butler, he was a solid player for the Royals. His career season in 2012 earned him his only All-Star berth thus far, as he produced a .313/.373/.510 batting line and slugging 29 home runs. It appeared as though the breakout the Royals had been hoping for was finally going to happen.

Unfortunately, it never did. However, Butler was essentially a hefty version of Mark Grace on offense, hitting doubles and generally batting around .300 for a season. In the eight years he spent with the Royals, Butler produced a .295/.359/.449 batting line, hitting 127 home runs and 276 doubles. Despite his struggles last season, Butler put together a solid postseason, producing a .262/.327/.333 batting line.

He may have departed for the A’s and their three year, $30 Million offer, yet Billy Butler was a solid player for the Royals. I’m looking forward to seeing his return to Kansas City.

Next: A player who deserved much better

credit: romancatholiccop.com

2. Mike Sweeney (1995-2007, 20.0 WAR)

At a time when every other teammate he had left in free agency, Mike Sweeney was the one who remained. Trapped on some truly horrendous Kansas City Royals teams, he remained loyal to the team, hoping to be a part of the postseason in Kansas City. Unfortunately, that never was to happen while he was a player.

Sweeney, as the best player on those teams, finds himself in the interesting position of being the face of the Royals in that era. While it earned him five All-Star appearances and even allowed Sweeney to garner a few MVP votes, Sweeney may not have been as appreciated as he should be. Years of losing can certainly cause apathy in a fan base, and some of the feelings towards Sweeney may reflect that.

If so, that is truly unfortunate. Sweeney was a very good player on those really bad Royals teams, producing a .299/.369/.492 batting line. Sweeney ranks second all time in Royals history with his 197 home runs and in the top five in OPS, RBI, doubles and walks. Sweeney was not just one of the best first basemen in Royals history – he was one of their best players of all time.

Perhaps some day, Mike Sweeney will get the due that he deserves. He was certainly one of the better players in Royals history, and may be a lot better than we remembered.

Next: Not even Andy Griffith could handle this Mayberry

credit: cjonline.com

1. John Mayberry (1972-1977, 21.8 WAR)

John Mayberry may have only spent six seasons with the Kansas City Royals, but he made a dramatic impact on the team’s fortunes. One of the top players when the Royals began to ascend the standings and become one of the top teams in the American League, Mayberry was a force for the Royals.

Stolen from the Astros for Lance Clemons and Jim York, Mayberry went on to appear in two All-Star games and received MVP votes in four of his six seasons with the Royals. He twice finished in the top ten on the MVP ballot, including his second place finish in 1975 when he finished behind Fred Lynn. That season, Mayberry put together a .291/.416/.547 batting line, slugging 34 home runs with 38 doubles.

Overall for the Royals, Mayberry produced a .261/.374/.448 batting line, slugging 143 home runs and 139 doubles. He ranks fifth all time in on base percentage, and is in the top ten in home runs, OPS and RBI. While he did not play for the Royals as long as some of the other players on this list, Mayberry was still their best first baseman, at least in terms of WAR.

Maybe it was because John Mayberry was overshadowed by players like George Brett and Frank White, but he seems to be a forgotten player in Royals lore. However, Mayberry was the best first baseman in Kansas City Royals history.

Next: Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top Five Catchers