New KC Royals speedster might be the next Terrance Gore

Kansas City Royals fans will remember the mid-2010s fondly as one of the best eras the franchise has ever seen.

From stellar starting pitching, to elite bullpens, to some of the best lineups this organization has ever seen, the most recent Royals World Series era has given the Kauffman faithful so many joyous memories.

Of all the heroes of those great seasons, there's one who remained a little more unsung but played a vital role in the team's pursuit of success during that time. This was Terrance Gore, who didn't offer a ton with the bat, but had speed that caused headaches for opposing pitchers.

In just 112 regular season games Gore has just 85 plate appearances to his name, but has 43 stolen bases. Pair with that five postseason stolen bases compared to just two plate appearances - as he was a staple on the Royals' 2014 World Series roster - and you have one of the most uniquely successful speed threats the league has ever seen.

Fast forward about a decade later and the Royals might have the next Terrance Gore-level threat on their hands in one of their newest big leaguers.

Tyler Tolbert might be the next Terrance Gore

After Dairon Blanco hit the injured list on March 31, Tyler Tolbert got the call to the big leagues to replace his speed off the bench.

And the speedy utility man has done more than just replace Blanco's speed, he's been an absolute weapon on the basepaths. In five MLB games so far, Tolbert has just three plate appearances but already four stolen bases under his belt.

And even when he's not stealing bases, his presence on the basepaths has already caused opposing pitchers problems. Take Thursday afternoon as an example, Tolbert came on as a pinch-runner in the eighth and his presence at first base caused Twins reliever Louis Varland to rush a throw to first that slipped away from Ty France and resulted in Tolbert advancing all the way to third.

Now, Tolbert isn't the only speed threat on this team, they still have Blanco when he returns as well as Maikel Garcia, each of whom stole 30+ bags last season, but he now gives the Royals a third base stealing threat, who happens to have multiple 50+ stolen base seasons in the minor leagues. In this case though, Tolbert has been given the primary focus of utilizing his speed and swiping bags at the Major League level.

While his speed may look similar to Gore, the added bonus of Tolbert is there is some offensive upside to fall back on that Gore never really possessed. He has a pair of near-league or league average offensive seasons in the upper minors under his belt - with a 99 wRC+ season in Double-A in 2022 and a 100 wRC+ in Double-A in 2023 - as well as a solid .286 AVG and .375 OBP spring training campaign this year.

Pair that with his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as both spots in the middle infield, the Royals might have a real useful roster piece at their disposal.

Whether or not he stays in the majors after Blanco returns remains to be seen, However, the fact the Royals can call upon that type of speed at any point in time could be a game changer.