Kansas City Royals: Top Twenty Hitters In Team History

Nov 3, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A Kansas City Royals fans shows support while waiting on players to arrive at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

6. Danny Tartabull

The KC Royals traded for second-year player Danny Tartabull to add some youthful pop to an aging lineup in 1987. The 24-year-old Tartabull gave them everything they could have hoped for.

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Danny Tartabull slashed .309/.390/.541 with 34 home runs and 101 RBIs as a right fielder in his first Kansas City Royals season. Along with Bo Jackson, he added some serious bicep power to the KC lineup—though both were disappointing defenders in the field.

Tartabull played during a difficult time in Kansas City, as the team was transitioning from the core that had won the 1985 title to a series of still competitive teams that fell short of the post-season. Still, Danny Tartabull produced at the plate in five years in Kansas City. He slashed .290/.376/.518 for an OPS+ of 144 (44% better than league average) with 124 home runs.

Danny Tartabull was a three true outcomes player before sabermetrics came of age, regularly striking out more than 100 times a season, slamming home runs, and drawing walks.  His final year in KC featured one of the best slash lines in club history at .316/.397/.593 with 31 home runs and in OPS+ 171.

The Bull moved on to the Yankees as a free agent in 1992, and he played for Oakland, the White Sox, and Phillies before retiring at age 34 after the 1997 season.

Next: The Loyal Royal