Royals: 3 best seasons for Zack Greinke in Kansas City

The Kansas City Royals drafted and developed Zack Greinke and he should end up in the Hall of Fame after his career is over.

A few friends from high school whom my relationships go back thirty years had a discussion during Game 7 of the World Series via text about whether Zack Greinke is Hall of Fame material. I decided to take a trip down memory land to review his best years with the Kansas City Royals.

Way back in 2002, the Royals took Greinke as the sixth pick overall out of Apopka High School in Apopka, Florida. There he was named a Gatorade National High School Player of the Year where he excelled not only on the mound but also at the plate. Striking out 296 over 186 innings and a 1.13 ERA along with smacking 31 home runs and batting .465, he put together a spectacular prep career.

His first full year in the minor was in 2003 whereas a 19-year-old he went 15-4 with a 1.93 ERA and a WHIP of 0.943 between Advanced A and AA ball. A quick start in 2004 at the AAA level led to his promotion to the Kansas City Royals roster at just 20 years old.

He would go on to spend seven total years with the Royals, another two with the Milwaukee Brewers, half a season with the Los Angeles Angels, then three across the city with Dodgers, followed by four playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks and just closed out the second half of the 2019 season with the Houston Astros.

While he has had many great years with other teams, let’s take a closer look at his three best years with the Kansas City Royals.