Kansas City Royals Countdown: Top 10 Outfielders

3. Alex Gordon (2007-present, 33.2 WAR)

When Alex Gordon was drafted second overall out of Nebraska, many thought he would easily become a top-10 Royals third baseman. His ability to basically start his career over from scratch and turn into one of the best outfielders in Kansas City Royals history is nothing short of miraculous.

Since becoming the club’s regular left fielder in 2011, Gordon strung together five outstanding seasons. During that time frame, he won four Gold Gloves, made three All-Star teams and received votes twice in the MVP race.

His strikeout numbers have always been high, but Gordon has countered that with decent power numbers. He led the league with 51 doubles in 2012—a year after hitting 45 two-baggers. His career home runs and doubles each place him fifth in Kansas City Royals history.

Gordon’s postseason numbers are a little uneven. He has hit just .222 in 31 career playoff games. However, he has three home runs and 17 RBI in those contests. One of those homers ranks among the biggest in franchise history. It came in the ninth inning of Game 1 in the 2015 World Series with the Kansas City Royals trailing by a run:

The rest, as they say, is history. His heroics, as well as his overall play the previous five years, saw Gordon earn a huge contract that offseason. The massive four-year, $72 million deal seemed a bargain to most at the time, but Gordon has failed to live up to it.

His past two seasons have seen Gordon hit well below his career average. The power numbers have dropped significantly, as well. As this is being written, Gordon is in the midst of a solid September and hopefully can carry that momentum into 2018.