Kansas City Royals: Top Twenty Hitters In Team History

Oct 15, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; The outfield scoreboard displays the Kansas City Royals as American League champions after game four of the 2014 ALCS playoff baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals swept the Orioles to advance to the World Series. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

12. Willie Wilson

Willie Wilson is the best leadoff hitter in team history. His career .289/.329/.382 triple slash and 95 OPS+ (5% worse than a league average hitter) in 15 years with the KC Royals doesn’t really tell you how good he was in his prime.

Willie Wilson wrecked havoc on the bases, with a franchise-record 612 stolen bases—including a league-leading 83 in 1979. Aside from his base-running, Wilson hit over .300 for four consecutive seasons from 1979-82 and five times in six years. He won the batting crown by hitting .332 in 1982 and regularly posted OBP over .350.

Wilson possessed little to no power, hitting a career-high nine home runs in 1986. Triples were Willie’s game. He smacked 133 three-baggers for the Kansas City Royals, which is second in franchise history to George Brett’s 137. He led the league in triples five times in his career.

Willie Wilson, however, got caught up in the 1983 cocaine use scandal along with KC Royals teammates Vida Blue and Willie Mays Aikens. He really was never quite the same player after the scandal, though he played 12 more season.

After his 15 years with the Kansas City Royals, he finished up with two season in Oakland and two years with the Cubs.

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