Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top Five Second Basemen

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals have had quite a few excellent players come through their organization. While not all of them stayed on to be lifetime members of the Royals, they all made an impact upon the team and the franchise in one way or another other.

There have also been a few players who were, shall we say, less than stellar, to come to Kansas City. Players whose names have been used derisively as adjectives or as substitutes for profanity (at least, in my residence). Those players who embodied the intangibles, and that was pretty much it.

Sadly, despite being around for 45 years, the Kansas City Royals have not had a lot of luck with second basemen. There have been a couple of fairly solid players to man the position, and one player who is one of the greats in Royals history. But when you have only eight players that played for the Royals long enough to qualify for the Fangraphs.com career Wins Above Replacement list for the Royals, then there are some truly slim pickings. You will see as we begin the list.

Just like the previous lists, this one will be in order, from fifth through first, based on their WAR value by Fangraphs. Of the eight players to be ranked, Chris Getz, Carlos Febles and Ablerto Castillo did not make the cut. That should speak volumes to what the Royals have had when Febles is on the cusp of being in the top five.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy this these treks down memory lane as much as we enjoy providing them! Let us know if you think someone should have ranked higher.

Next: Forcing his way onto the list

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4. Cookie Rojas (1970-1977, 6.2 WAR)

Here is a fun fact: Cookie Rojas is second in Kansas City Royals history for home runs by a second baseman. He hit 25 home runs for the Royals in eight seasons. That speaks volumes as to how much of a revolving door that position has been in recent years, and to the players that have manned second base.

Even though Rojas was not much of a threat offensively, he was fairly adept at putting the bat on the ball, never striking out more than 43 times during his Royals tenure. Overall, Rojas produced a .268/.314/.346 batting line for the Royals, stealing 46 bases and hitting 139 doubles.

Where Cookie Rojas was most valuable, and the likely reason why he made four All-Star Games from 1971 through 1974, was on the defensive side. A valuable player who filled in everywhere on the diamond in his career, Rojas was a solid infielder. He was approximately league average most seasons, but was capable of making any play that he could get to. While he may not have had the best range in the game, he was sure handed and did not hurt the Royals in the field.

Rojas was a lot more valuable to the Royals than the numbers indicate. He was a veteran leader, and someone who helped develop the expansion Royals into the powerhouse they became in the mid 1970’s. Unfortunately, WAR just has not figured out a way to reflect intangibles yet.

Next: A professional in every sense of the word

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3. Mark Grudzielanek (2006-2008, 6.7 WAR)

As someone who just enjoys baseball in general, I would watch any game on television growing up. This continues to this day; if the Royals are not on at the time, I will tune in to whatever game is on the television. That habit, and my love of fantasy baseball, made me a fan of Mark Grudzielanek before he even became a member of the Kansas City Royals.

Even though Grudzielanek was far past his prime when he came over to the Royals, he was just about that same player. He was a solid defensive player, even winning his only Gold Glove award at age 36 with the Royals in 2006. he made solid contact and had good bat control, still showing those skills that made him an excellent player with the Expos and Dodgers.

For the Royals, Mark Grudzielanek produced a solid .300/.339/.412 batting line. While the years deprived him of some of his pop and speed, Grudzielanek managed to hit 88 doubles. Those numbers would likely be even better if his 2008 season did not end prematurely due to an ankle injury in August of that year.

Grudzielanek was a solid player for the Royals, but his production may have been overlooked because the team was terrible at the time. Despite that, Grudzielanek still rates as the third best second baseman in Royals history.

Next: He was a lot better than we may have realized

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2. Jose Offerman (1996-1998, 8.1 WAR)

When I first saw where Jose Offerman ranked amongst WAR leaders at second base for the Kansas City Royals, I simply assumed that I missed a couple of players. Then I looked at his statistics and realized that Offerman was a lot better than I thought he was.

Perhaps this was a matter of perception versus reality. My perception was that Offerman was an average player at best, but he was much more than that, at least offensively. During his three years with the Royals, Offerman produced the best stretch of his career, with a .306/.385/.419 batting line. Even though he only hit 14 home runs, Offerman hit 27 triples, leading the American League with 13 in 1998. That season, in a career year, Offerman produced a .315/.403/.438 batting line with 45 stolen bases, over 26% of his career total.

Even though Offerman was not a Gold Glove caliber second baseman, he was a versatile player. While primarily a second baseman, Offerman did spend time at short and first for the Royals, and even had a start in center in 1996. In all reality, Offerman was a quality defensive player, and a lot better than I thought he was.

It is strange how perceptions are formed, even illogically. For some reason, I had a negative perception of Jose Offerman, but looking back at his time in Kansas City, I have finally begun to appreciate that he was, after all, a very good player.

Next: The Smooth. The Great 20

credit: kshb.com

1. Frank White (1973-1990, 31.1 WAR)

Even without Fangraphs assistance, it is easy to know who the greatest second baseman in Kansas City Royals history is. All one needs to do is take a stroll over to the statues and read the nameplates. There is Mr. Royal, George Brett. There is Dick Howser, the best manager in team history. And there is Frank White, the second best player in Royals history.

The numbers for White’s career are impressive. He won eight Gold Glove awards, and likely deserved many more. A look through the defensive statistics from the late 1970’s through the mid 1980’s for second base involves White being prominently listed just about everywhere. That defense certainly helped White make five All-Star games.

Frank White was certainly a lot more than just a great defensive player. He was a solid bat, producing a .255/.293/.383 batting line. While that may not seem that great, this was an era when players like Rafael Belliard routinely appeared in games. Offense was not a priority for middle infielders. White also hit 160 home runs, stole 178 bases and finished his career with 2006 hits.

One could even make a case that Frank White deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Bill Mazeroski, considered to be his most similar player by Baseball Reference, is in the Hall. The only difference is that home run Mazeroski hit in Game Seven of the 1960 World Series. Nonetheless, White is easily the best second baseman in Kansas City Royals history, and seems likely to retain that crown for years to come.

Next: Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top Five First Basemen