2023 Vote - Eligible Royals Alumni Bios

Drafted by the Royals in the 1995 June Free Agent Draft (2nd Round)…Went from Class A Wilmington to the majors on September 14, 1998…Earned the Jackie Robinson Award as the American League Rookie of the Year in 1999; received 26 of 28 first place votes by the BBWAA…He hit .293, with 112 runs scored, 22 home runs and 108 RBI in 1999…Named the Royals Player of the Year in 2001 after leading the club with a .306 average, 106 runs, 101 RBI and 31 stolen bases; the youngest player (age 24) since George Brett in 1975 & 1976 (ages 22 & 23)…Led the Royals in nearly every offensive category except batting average in 2002 with team highs in at bats (637), runs (114), hits (174), doubles (44), triples (7), home runs (29), RBI (105), walks (71), and stolen bases (35)…Broke Mickey Mantle’s A.L. record (79) for switch-hitters in 2002 with 80 extra base hits…In 2003, he became the 6th player in Major League history to record 3 seasons with 100 runs, 100 RBI, and 30 stolen bases…Earned Royals Player of the Year in 2003 after leading the team in batting average (.307), runs (102), triples (10), home runs (26), RBI (100), walks (72), and stolen bases (41).

• Second Ballot Appearance: 2021 – 65.6%

Drafted by Kanas City Royals in the June 2004 Free Agent Draft (1st Round)...Three-time Les Milgram Player of the Year (2009, 2010, 2012)...American League Silver Slugger Award at DH (2012)...Edgar Martinez Outstanding DH Award (2012)...American League All-Star (2012)…In 2009, became first player in modern era to record four three-double games in the same season (July 8 at Detroit, August 8 vs. Oakland, August 18 at Chicago-AL, & September 9 vs. Detroit)...Became the first Royal in history to post three consecutive 40+ double seasons (2009-2011)...First player in franchise history to lead or share the team lead in RBI for four-straight seasons (2009-2012)...Played in all 162 games in 2013...Currently ranked in the Royals Top 10 in batting average (3), hits (9), doubles (7), home runs (10t), RBI (8), Total Bases (8).

• Second Ballot Appearance: 2021 – 56.3%

Drafted by the Royals in the 1992 June Amateur Draft (1st Round)…Led the American League in runs (136) and stolen bases (46) in 2000…his 136 runs scored in 2000 is the Royals single-season club record…Was the first Royals player to score 100 or more runs in three consecutive season (1998-2000)…played in a then-club record 305 consecutive games from 1998-1999…6th on Royals All-Time Career List in triples (47); 7th in batting average (.292); and 10th in stolen bases (156); also 13th in runs scored (504).

• Fourth Ballot Appearance: 2017 – 25.0%; 2019 – 36.1%; 2021 – 25.0%

Signed as a Major League free agent, November 22, 2013..posted a 3.71 ERA in 2014, which at the time was the lowest qualifying ERA by a Royals lefty since 1988…made three Postseason starts in 2014, earning the win in Game 4 of the ALCS as the Royals defeated Baltimore 2-1 to complete a sweep…underwent ‘Tommy John’ surgery in 2015, with the elbow injury limiting him to 12 combined starts over the 2015 and 2016 seasons…posted a career year in 2017, tying for the Major League lead with 18 wins…earned an All-Star nod while being named Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year…the 18 wins are tied for 10^th in a single season in club history and were the most since Kevin Appier’s 18 in 1993.

• First Year Eligible

Signed by the Royals as an amateur free agent on October 8, 2008…2014 Joe Burke Special Achievement Award Winner in recognition of an outstanding season above and beyond expectations…tied for most postseason career postseason starts by a pitcher in Royals history (9-Dennis Leonard)…memorable winning performance tossing seven shutout innings in Royals 10-0 win in Game Six of the 2014 World Series Game at Kauffman Stadium…5th on Royals All-Time Career List in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (7.72) and 9th in hits per 9 innings (8.63).

• Third Ballot Appearance: 2019 – 13.9%; 2021 – 21.9%

Named Royals manager on May 13, 2010…longest tenured manager in franchise history, managed 1,585 regular season and 31 postseason games…ranks first in Royals history with 746 regular season and 22 postseason managerial wins…led the Royals to capturing the 2014 American League Pennant in the franchise’s first postseason appearance in 29 years…led the Royals to an American League best 95 wins in 2015 winning the Central Division, a second consecutive AL Pennant, and ultimately Kansas City’s second World Championship…first manager to lead the club to back-to-back World Series appearances…led the 2014 Royals to a Major League-record eight consecutive wins to open the postseason…his .710 (22-9) postseason winning percentage ranks first in baseball history among those with at least 20 playoff games managed.

• First Year Eligible