Gordon posted his best numbers since 2015, yet the Royals declined their option for 2020. To be fair, $23 million is a hefty price for a 1.3 WAR outfielder with declining defense, entering his age-36 season. Gordon's renaissance was fueled by a career-best 15.8 K% as his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity dipped from 2018. Gordon's groundball rate increased each of the past four seasons, aiding batting average but hurting power. It took the reduced-drag ball to match the previous year's 13 homers, despite 65 more plate appearances. With the glove, Gordon went from one of the top left fielders by most metrics to a league average defender. Considering how bleak things looked when Gordon couldn't hack it as a third baseman, the former second overall pick carved out a nice career with the Royals in left field, even getting a World Series ring. He'll latch on somewhere, likely as a reserve.
We have now had three consecutive seasons of Gordon being a below-average offensive producer, but at least 2018 was a step back toward some form of mediocrity at the plate. Gordon had his first double-double season since 2014, and hit for his highest average of the past three seasons. The trouble is the power is still AWOL, and lefties are still a mystery for him. Gordon's defense is solid enough to leave him in the lineup on an everyday basis, so his overall numbers will suffer due to overexposure. In an ideal world, Gordon would play in a platoon with a good right-handed partner, but Kansas City has not shown much of an interest in going that route. He has one more guaranteed year on his deal, and will try his best to earn the team option for 2020. Kansas City has to cater to a fan favorite, but you do not have to. Gordon should be a fallback option after your first dozen or so options fall through, rather than a target.
After hitting a respectable .269/.348/.435 across his first eight major-league seasons, the veteran has experienced a sharp drop-off at the plate over the past two years. In 2017, he failed to hit 10 homers for the first time since 2010, when he was limited to just 74 big-league games as he was transitioning to the outfield. Gordon's still one of the better defenders in the game and he's owed $40 million over the next two years, so he should see his fair share of starts, but it would take a pretty drastic turnaround for him to regain mixed-league relevance. While he hit .250/.347/.452 in 95 plate appearances over the last month of the season, that included a 4-for-25 (.160) stretch over the final 10 games. Given the steep downward trend, it would be a surprise if he produced at even a league-average level in his age-34 campaign.
For the second straight season, the usually dependable Gordon had an extended stint on the disabled list, playing in only 128 games after missing just over a month with a sprained wrist in the first half. More alarmingly, in contrast to 2015 when his skills remained stable despite appearing in just 104 contests, the veteran outfielder's contact rate plummeted to 67 percent, well under his career mark of 76 percent, contributing to a miserable .220 average. Gordon's batting average on balls in play also dropped despite his usually high line drive rate and a hard-hit percentage above his career norm, suggesting when bat struck ball, he truly hit into some bad luck. His power metrics remained stable so if Gordon can straighten out his strikeout issues, he's in line for a bounce-back season. That said, expecting the 150-plus games Gordon played from 2011-2014 is aggressive. The cost will no doubt be depressed so there's a buying opportunity here, just have Plan B at the ready.
After appearing in 150 games or more for the previous four seasons, Gordon played in just 104 games in 2015, largely due to a groin injury suffered in July. When healthy, Gordon was basically the same hitter he was in 2015, using great patience and above-average power to turn in a solid line. Gordon hasn't approached his breakout 2011 season (.303/.376/.502, 23 homers, 17 steals) since then, but he has settled in as an above-average line drive hitter. Gordon stole only two bases in 2015, however, breaking a streak of four straight years in double digits. He re-signed with the Royals, ensuring several more years of patrolling the large outfield of Kauffman Stadium.
Gordon continued to rack up the hardware in 2014, making a trip to the All-Star game for his second year in a row and collecting his fourth straight Gold Glove award. He also made solid contributions in most important fantasy categories, posting totals of 87 runs, 74 RBI, 19 homers and 12 steals, with his homer and RBI numbers both being good enough to lead the team. The outfielder finished the year with a three-year high in isolated power (.165), and showed better plate discipline, improving his walk rate nearly three percentage points to 10.1%, and posting his best BB/K ratio (0.52) since 2012. Though he doesn't excel in any single category, his all-around play makes him a quality fantasy asset to own in rotisserie formats, and a solid middle-round pick. Gordon once again projects to be manager Ned Yost's everyday left fielder and should hit in the heart of the Royals' lineup in the 2015 season.
Over the last three seasons, Gordon has shown that he has 20-home run power and the ability to steal 15-20 bases while steadily posting an average close to .300. But with a career .344 on-base percentage and the Royals lacking any other impressive options, he continues to be miscast as a leadoff hitter most of the time and spends his seasons being flipped between that and the three-hole, where he seems to make more sense. For the most part, his batted ball data indicates that he is a strong line-drive hitter with good gap power, but he is continuously making adjustments to his approach based on his lineup spot so the consistency is sometimes lacking. With additional options atop the order this season, Gordon appears to be headed for the three-hole on a more consistent basis. He should be able to stay there for much of the season which will, in turn, afford him greater RBI opportunities and a chance to focus on hitting for a little more power. He was a top-20 outfielder in 2013 and there is no reason that he shouldn't be considered as such for 2014.
Though he failed to build on his 2011 breakout campaign, Gordon still managed to produce solid numbers last season. He struggled for the first two months as the Royals attempted to move him down from the leadoff spot to the three-hole in the order and he hit just .237 over that time. Things clicked finally once the calendar flipped to June and he went on to hit .333 over the next three months. His power, however, never quite returned and although he led the majors with 51 doubles, he hit just 14 home runs on the year and saw his ISO drop back down to .160 by the end of the season. Gordon improved both his walk and strikeout rates in 2012 and should regain some of the lost power and speed totals this season, making him a fantastic asset to your fantasy outfield once again.
Gordon finally had the season that most had been hoping for since he broke into the majors in 2007. He hit .303/.376/.502 with 23 home runs and 17 stolen bases, all of which were career highs. A .358 BABIP definitely helped, but he also helped himself as he made more contact and hit for more power than ever before. It must be noted that Gordon also stayed healthy, which is something that has been difficult for him in seasons past. With a batting average on balls in play that is likely to regress to his career mean, it's unfair for owners to expect Gordon to take the next step and build on what he accomplished in 2011. Instead, they should look for him to maintain the skills that he has developed.
No longer the Royals' third baseman of the future, Gordon will try his hand in the outfield for a second year. He grew into the role last season after receiving a demotion in May and returned to find his struggles still waiting for him at the plate after a strong minor league cameo. At 27 this season, Gordon still has time to develop into a contributor for Kansas City, but few still believe the hype that surrounded him in 2005 when the Royals took him with the second overall pick in the draft.
Gordon, the Royals' 2005 first-round pick, regressed in 2009 after having some success the previous two seasons to start his career. Battling a hip injury through spring training, Gordon underwent surgery in April only to spend the following three months rehabbing. After being activated in July, Gordon struggled to find his way and was demoted to Triple-A Omaha. Gordon was recalled in September and hit safely in 15 of his final 20 games. He has the tools to be an All-Star caliber player and the potential to give the Royals one of the best young corner-infield tandems in the majors (Billy Butler), but the clock is ticking and he may never fully deliver on the hype that surrounded him after his illustrious collegiate career at Nebraska.
The 2008 season was supposed to be the year Gordon took a big step forward. No one was expecting All-Star numbers, but maybe a step or two in that direction. If anything, Gordon took a baby step in 2008, hitting just one more home run than the year before, improving his average by 13 points and boosting his OBP by 47 points, but he hit three fewer triples and stole five fewer bases. Gordon picked up 35 doubles on the year, and some of those should turn into home runs as he continues to mature. In the overall evaluation, keep in mind that 2008 was just Gordon's third professional season - he spent only one year in the minors.
Gordon jumped from Double-A to the majors in 2007, and entered the season in the AL Rookie of the Year mix. However, he did not even get a vote after a campaign in which he hit .247 with a .725 OPS. He did show his combination of power and speed, finishing with 15 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Nine of those home runs came in the second half, to go with a .264 average, suggesting he got more comfortable to the major league environment as the season went on. There's no reason to believe he won't progress in 2008 and he'll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs hitting at the tail end of the heart of the order.
The second overall pick in the 2005 draft put up monster numbers in his first pro season, including a 1.015 OPS in Double-A Wichita, and looks to be the real deal. Even an average spring will place him on the major league roster, but the Royals will look for any opportunity to start him in Triple-A. Once he arrives, the sky may be the limit. He has shown power, speed, a high average and a great eye at the plate. His defense is solid enough that the Royals plan to move Mark Teahen to the outfield, a player the team has lauded in the past for his defensive work ethic.
The second overall pick in the 2005 draft, Gordon signed after a lengthy contract negotiation, and his first action came in the Arizona Fall League playing first base. He performed decently and will likely land in Double-A to begin 2006. Which position he will play is yet to be determined. The Royals were adamant that he be moved back to third in the spring, but a move to first or to the outfield wouldn't be a surprise with Mark Teahen beginning what looks like a long career as the Royals' third baseman.
