Kansas City Royals Top Five Center Fielders

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The list of team leaders in Wins Above Replacement on Fangraphs.com, when set to the ‘qualified’ amount for minimum plate appearances, appears to be about 1000. While that may seem like a decent amount, that is really only two to three seasons for a typical every day player. In reality, 1000 plate appearances is not a lot.

However, for the Kansas City Royals, it is occasionally difficult to find a large quantity of players to fit that criterion at a position. Sometimes, it is due to the position historically being a revolving door. Other times, it is because there have been several players who played the position regularly. More often than not, it is some combination of the two.

In the case of the Kansas City Royals center fielders, it is because two of the players listed are actually in the top five for game played all time. Granted, both Willie Wilson and Amos Otis had a good amount of overlap, but their presence still limited the amount of time a player had to really get extensive time in center. Still, considering that only nine players hit the minimum amount of plate appearances to qualify, this was quite the impressive list.

The same rules as with the previous lists, as the Fangraphs.com WAR category has been used as a guide. However, that does not mean that it will be the only determining factor. In fact, Johnny Damon has a higher WAR (11.9) than the player selected for fifth on this list. However, it can be argued that the player replacing him means more to the Kansas City Royals than Damon did.

As always, let us know who you think should have made this list, or if you feel someone should be rated higher!

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4. David DeJesus (2003-2010, 19.0 WAR)

There was something about David DeJesus that seemingly left us wanting more. Perhaps it was because he was expected to be another power and speed threat for the Kansas City Royals, but never lived up to those expectations. However, that does not diminish the fact that he was, in fact, a solid player during his tenure with the Royals.

DeJesus may never have been an All-Star player, but he did have a solid bat. Overall, he contributed a .289/.360/.427 batting line, hitting 61 home runs and stealing 47 bases. His solid speed may not have translated well when it came to the stolen base as he was caught 43 times, but DeJesus did leg out 187 doubles and 45 triples.

Even though David DeJesus may never have been a Gold Glove outfielder, he was useful as he moved around for the Royals. While primarily a center fielder, DeJesus also played admirably in left and right, being the Royals starter in both positions during his tenure in Kansas City.

David DeJesus may be one of those players whose time with the Royals is appreciated more with the gift of hindsight. He may not have been the star it was hoped he would be, but DeJesus was a solid player in his own right.

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3. Carlos Beltran (1998-2004, 24.8 WAR)

If the Kansas City Royals had been willing to spend on their players in the early to mid 2000’s, Carlos Beltran would likely be higher on this list. He was a true power and speed threat, an All-Star, a Rookie of the Year and a legitimate MVP candidate, despite the limited success the Royals had during his tenure.

During those six and a half seasons, Beltran put together some impressive numbers. He had a .287/.352/.483 batting line, hitting 123 home runs and stealing 164 bases. Despite not having nearly the same amount of time in Kansas City as quite a few other players, Beltran’s name still comes up in numerous categories in the Royals top ten on offense.

Defensively, Carlos Beltran was a very solid player, going on to win two Gold Gloves during his time with the Mets. He likely deserved a couple with the Royals as well, as he saved 34 runs in his time patrolling center. His 1999 season ranks as his best defensively, leading American League center fielders in putouts and assists while finishing second with 20 runs saved. A Gold Glove award should have gone along with that Rookie of the Year trophy.

Carlos Beltran was truly a great player for the Kansas City Royals. It would have been interesting to see where he would have ranked if the Royals were spending on payroll at the time.

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2. Willie Wilson (1976-1990, 35.2 WAR)

At times, it seems as though Willie Wilson is a forgotten member of the great Kansas City Royals teams of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Players like George Brett, Frank White, Paul Splittorff and Dan Quisenberry are fondly remembered, but Wilson never seems to be mentioned among those names. It is truly unfortunate, as he was truly one of the better players ever to don the powder blue.

Wilson was a two time All-Star, a two time Silver Slugger winner and finished as high as fourth in the MVP award. He led the American League in triples five times, stole 83 bases in 1979 and won a batting title with a .332 batting average in 1982. During his time with the Royals, Wilson posted a .289/.329/.382 batting line, stealing 612 bases and hitting 147 triples. He was the perfect catalyst for the Royals of that era.

On defense, Willie Wilson was equally solid in center as he was in left. He saved 108 runs in his career, ranking 41st all time and 15th as an outfielder. Wilson is tenth all time with a 2.87 range factor per nine innings in the outfield, as his 2.94 range factor in center is 14th all time and his 2.77 range factor in left is the best in baseball history. Wilson was truly a great defensive player.

On the list of the all time greatest members of the Kansas City Royals, Willie Wilson does not seem to get enough attention. He truly was one of the great Royals to patrol the outfield.

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1. Amos Otis (1970-1983, 42.0 WAR)

Back in the early days of the Kansas City Royals, the front office made a number of brilliant trades to quickly make the team a legitimate contender. One of those deals was to get Amos Otis and Bob Johnson for Joe Foy.

While Foy was winding down his career, Otis was becoming a star. He made the All-Star team in his first five seasons in Kansas City, and was a six time All-Star overall. Otis finished as high as third in the MVP ballot, led the American League in double twice and won three Gold Glove awards. He was quite the steal for Kansas City.

Overall, Amos Otis produced a .280/.347/.433 batting line, hitting 193 home runs and stealing 340 bases. While not a classic power/speed threat, Otis hit over twenty home runs twice and led the American League with 52 stolen bases in 1971.

On defense, Otis was not exactly Willie Wilson, but he was a solid player in his own right. In his prime, Otis was one of the best defensive center fielders, a player whose strong arm kept him among the league leaders in assists and double plays. While he wasn’t the same player as he got older, Otis still ranks 22nd with a .991 fielding percentage in center and is 30th with a 2.83 range factor per game.

Amos Otis was part of one of the best trades the Kansas City Royals ever made. In exchange for a player with two years left in his career, they received a franchise center fielder.

Next: Kansas City Royals Top Five Right Fielders