Kansas City Royals all-time top 50 players: No. 30 to No. 11

No. 20) Jeff Montgomery, relief pitcher, 1988-99

Jeff Montgomery is yet another all-time great Royals reliever to make this list. Known by many fans today as Joel Goldberg’s broadcast partner, Monty notched 304 saves during his 12-year Royals career. He was a steady presence at the back of the Kansas City bullpen for over a decade.

While his numbers were not quite as flashy as some of the more recent bullpen aces on this list, Montgomery’s longevity puts him ahead of the rest. He did manage to make three All-Star teams and earn MVP votes for his brilliant 1993 campaign. So there was more to him than just consistency.

No. 19) Freddie Patek, shortstop, 1971-79

Despite his small stature, Freddie Patek looms large as one of the slickest shortstops in Kansas City history. The three-time All-Star was something of an Alcides Escobar 2.0. While his triple slash left much to be desired, Patek was a burner on the base-paths, with nearly 400 stolen bases in his career. He also was an elite defensive shortstop, which is where he earned most of his accolades. Patek is not remembered nearly as much as he should be, and that’s a shame considering how much he accomplished with the Royals.