Cubs outfielder Ian Happ could finally fill the hole left by Royals' franchise legend

Alex Gordon held down left field in Kauffman Stadium for 10 season. While the Kanas City Royals' first-round pick in 2005 played third base for the first few seasons of his career, he made the move to left field in 2011 and became one of the game's best in the corner and a Royals legend.

From 2011 until he retired in 2020, Gordon was recognized as one of the best left fielders in the game. He took home eight Gold Gloves during his career, the most ever by a left fielder (though 2011 was when MLB split the award from generic outfielder to one at each position).

Since Gordon retired, left field has been a revolving door for the Royals. Since 2021, 24 different players have ten or more games in left field for Kansas City, and none of them have been overly effective.

Only one player, Andrew Benintendi, has a fWAR higher than 1.0, and 11 of the 24 have a negative fWAR. The outfield has generally been a weak point for the Royals over the last few seasons, but left field has been feeble.

Cubs outfielder (and soon-to-be free agent) Ian Happ could upgrade the Royals roster

The Royals have a chance to change that this offseason. There are few of the upper-tier free agents who play left field, and one has a surprising resemblance to Gordon. Ian Happ has spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Chicago Cubs, and there's more resemblance to Gordon than Royals fans may realize.

Though Happ's his batting average through his first 10 seasons is 20 points lower, his on-base percentage is almost the same, and his slugging percentage is 10 points higher, resulting in very similar OPS numbers (.783 for Happ and .774 for Gordon). Gordon has beaten Happ in hits by almost 200, but the Cubs' left fielder already has more home runs in his career than Gordon ever hit.

The similarities don't stop on offense either. Both had won four Gold Gloves in left field (Happ could still win his fifth in 2026). Gordon had a few more All-Star appearances (three to one), and a higher career bWAR and fWAR. It's not a perfect comparison — those are hard to find — but Happ has the same steady eddy feel out in left that Gordon did.

With Happ likely headed into free agency this offseason, the Royals could finally find a solution to the problem spot they've had out in left since Gordon retired. Even if Happ is looking for a long-term commitment, the Royals should consider signing him to give a familiar feel to their outfield.

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