KC Royals: Former ALCS MVP joining Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

World Series champion outfielder Lorenzo Cain is one of the workhorse players in the KC Royals' 2014 and 2015 postseason runs. Now, the 2014 ALCS MVP is one of 19 honorees selected for the 2023 class of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Former Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain is joining the hallowed halls of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame this year.

Cain played in Kansas City for seven seasons, joining the team when the Milwaukee Brewers traded for pitcher Zack Greinke. The two-time All Star's 24.7 WAR is the 15th-best in Royals franchise history, thanks to his steady hitting and exemplary defense. Cain placed third in MVP voting in 2015, his first All-Star season. He and Royals legend George Brett are the only Royals to win a World Series and finish in the top three for MVP.

His 92.8% stolen base success rate is still ninth in Royals history, and he racked up 190 career stolen bases. Cain last played for Kansas City in the 2017 season, and was one of the last remaining members of the 2015 World Series championship squad with the Royals.

Cain returned to the Brewers on a five-year, $80 million contract, the payday the Royals wouldn't give him. The Brewers designated Cain for assignment in the summer of 2022, likely signaling the end of his illustrious career. In total, Cain played in 13 MLB seasons after being a 17th-round selection in the 2004 MLB Draft.

Based in Springfield, Missouri, the 2023 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame class includes:

• Carl Peterson - President’s Award
• Matt Besler - Sporting KC
• Muna Lee - Central High School/LSU/Olympic Track & Field
• Rockhurst High School - Football Program
• Vic Bonuchi - Excelsior Springs High School Football Coach
• Charlie Burri - Missouri Western State University
• Don Edwards -Jefferson (Conception) High School Basketball Coach
• Blair Kerkhoff - Kansas City Star Sportswriter
• Claude English - Park University Athletic Director
• Archbishop O’Hara High School Volleyball Era 2002-2010
• Tom O’Brien - High School Tennis Coach
• William Jewell College 2003 Women’s Soccer Team
• Karen Schull MacGee - Golf
• Larry Lady - Commissioner of Heart of America Athletic Conference
• Michael Watson - UMKC Basketball Player
• Karen Kornacki – Sports Broadcaster
• Benton High School 2007 - Girls Basketball State Championship Team
• Northeast Nodaway High School - Girls Basketball 1973-1979 & 1982

The 2023 class will be inducted on April 23, 2023, during a ceremony at the LEX in Kansas City, Missouri.