Kansas City Royals: Alex Gordon has chance to go out on top

Even though the Kansas City Royals season is over, Alex Gordon has a chance to retire while going out on top.

When the 2021 season begins, something will be missing for the Kansas City Royals. For the first time in nearly a decade, Alex Gordon will not be heading out to left field, his familiar number 4 a fond memory.

However, there is still a chance that Gordon will step out on to the field in 2021. He was one of the finalists for the AL Gold Glove award in left, along with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Kyle Tucker.

Gordon had another stellar season in left for the Royals. He led all AL left fielders with ten runs saved, ranked third in assists, and fourth in putouts. Gordon even saved one of his best for last, as he fired a dart home for his final assist in his next to last game in Kansas City.

As the sun has set on Gordon’s career, he will go down as one of the greatest defensive left fielders in MLB history. His 122 runs saved in left is the third most in league history, trailing only a pair of Hall of Famers in Barry Bonds and Carl Yastrzemski. Gordon also ranks in the top 30 all time in fielding percentage, putouts, and assists in left.

Those numbers are all the more impressive considering how little time Gordon spent in left compared to the others on that list. He only had 11 years as a left fielder, originally coming through the Royals system as a third baseman.

That Gold Glove would cap off Gordon’s storied career. He went from a potential draft bust to a key piece of the Royals resurgence in the middle of the 2010s. As it currently stands, he ends his career as a three time All Star and seven time Gold Glove winner, taking him the Platinum Glove in 2014.

Alex Gordon may be adding some more hardware to his trophy case. The Kansas City Royals retired star has been named as a finalist for the AL Gold Glove in left field.