Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top Five Second Basemen

credit: royaleswithcheese.com

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