The 2014-15 Royals will forever be remembered for their amazing postseason runs. But how many players from those teams will receive induction into the Royals Hall of Fame?
Carlos Beltrán, Billy Butler,
Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis, Alcides Escobar, Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland, Joakim Soria, and Yordano Ventura are the nine candidates on this year’s Royals Hall of Fame ballot. All but Beltrán and Soria were on at least one of the pennant-winning clubs in 2014 and 2015. Here are the credentials for each candidate.
Carlos Beltrán
795 games, .287/.352/.483, 24.8 rWAR
Beltrán played for the Royals from 1998 to 2004, winning Rookie of the Year in 1999, becoming the eighth rookie ever to score 100 runs and drive in 100 runs. He won American League Player of the Week three times with the Royals, and won American League Player of the Month in April of 2004. Beltrán finished in the top ten in the league in steals three times with the Royals, and he is eighth among all Royals position players in rWAR. His 164 stolen bases are seventh-most in club history, and he had an amazing 87 percent success rate.
Billy Butler
1,166 games, .295/.359/.449, 12.5 rWAR
Butler was a first-round pick in 2014 and designated hitter for several years, including the pennant-winning season in 2014. He enjoyed his best season in 2012, hitting .313/.373/.510 with a career-high 29 home runs, earning the Silver Slugger Award. He also made his only All-Star Game appearance in front of hometown fans at Kauffman Stadium. Butler finished in the top ten in the league in doubles three times and finished sixth in RBI in 2012. He is tenth in club history in games played, eleventh in home runs, eighth in hits, and seventh in doubles. His .295 batting average is tied for fifth-highest in club history for anyone with at least 1,000 plate appearances.
Lorenzo Cain
713 games, .289/.342/.421, 24.6 rWAR
Cain is on the ballot for the first time, having enjoyed a retirement ceremony with the club in 2023. Cain was originally acquired from the Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade, and quickly blossomed into one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. From 2013 to 2017, he was third among all outfielders in Defensive Runs Saved with 75. His defensive prowess was on display during the 2014 playoff run, and he hit .533 against the Orioles, earning him ALCS MVP honors. He was an All-Star in 2015, finishing third in MVP voting in 2015. He was fifth in the league in runs scored (101), fifth in batting average (.307), third in defensive WAR (2.1), and fourth in overall rWAR (6.9). His run home from first on a single by Eric Hosmer in the deciding game of the 2015 ALCS against the Blue Jays is one of the most iconic moments in franchise history.
Wade Davis
256 games, 3.39 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 6.6 rWAR
Davis was a starter in 2013, his first year with the team after being acquired from the Rays. But a move to the bullpen turned his career around and he became the most dominant reliever in baseball. From 2014 to 2016, he pitched in 185 games and had a minuscule 1.85 ERA, closing out 47 saves. He struck out 33 percent of all hitters he faced over that time, and was a two-time All-Star, earning Cy Young votes in 2014 and 2015, and MVP votes in 2015. He got the final out of the 2015 World Series, clinching the title for the Royals.
Alcides Escobar
1,245 games, .259/.292/.344, 8.2 rWAR
Alcides Escobar is another first-time candidate. He was a defense-first shortstop who frequently hit at the top of the lineup for those pennant-winning clubs. Originally acquired from the Brewers in the Greinke trade, Escobar was an iron-man for the Royals, playing in 155 games or more in six of his eight seasons with the Royals, including three seasons where he played all 162 games. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove-winner in 2015, and he hit .478 against the Blue Jays that fall to win ALCS MVP honors. He notably opened the bottom of the first of Game 1 of the 2015 World Series with an inside-the-park home run to set the tone of the series.
Kelvin Herrera
442 games, 2.75 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 10.6 rWAR
Herrera is a two-time All-Star, who posted four seasons of at least 70 appearances with an ERA below three. He was part of the vaunted “HDH” bullpen trio with Davis and Greg Holland. He had a minuscule 1.26 ERA in 22 relief appearances in the postseason with 38 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings. He is sixth in club history in saves and third in games pitched.
Greg Holland
394 games, 2.72 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 11.3 rWAR
Greg Holland was an elite closer and part of the best bullpen in baseball. He was drafted in the tenth round out of Western Carolina University and debuted with the Royals in 2010. He posted a 1.80 ERA the next season, and by 2012 he was the team’s closer. He was an All-Star in 2013 and 2014, earning Cy Young and MVP votes each season. He collected 46 saves in 2013, and 47 in 2014, finishing second in the American League each season. He gave up just one run in 11 postseason innings in 2014. He had 32 saves in 2015, but suffered an elbow injury late in the year that kept him from postseason action. He returned to the club in 2020-21, appearing in 85 games.
Joakim Soria
427 games, 2.82 ERA, 3.03 FIP
Soria spent two different stints with the Royals, from 2007-11 and from 2016-17. He was originally selected as a Rule 5 draft pick from the Padres and became a two-time All-Star with the Royals, earning Cy Young and MVP votes in 2010. He finished in the top ten in the league in saves four times with the Royals, finishing second in 2010 with 43 saves. He is third all-time in Royals history in saves and fifth in games pitched.
Yordano Ventura
94 games, 3.89 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 7.7 rrWAR
Ventura exploded on the scene in 2014 with a fastball that was regularly clocked at 100 mph. He finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting with a 3.20 ERA and 14 wins, and turned in a sensational World Series performance in two starts, including seven shutout innings in a must-win Game 6. “Ace” Ventura would be a key part of the championship rotation as well, winning 13 games and leading the team in strikeouts. Ventura tragically died in the winter after the 2016 season in a car collision.
To be eligible for the Royals Hall of Fame, a candidate must have been active with the ballclub for at least three seasons and accumulated a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances or 300 innings pitched, and be retired for at least three years.
Fans can vote here, with the fan vote counting for three electors. Other electors include members of the Royals Hall of Fame, Royals front office staff, Royals Associates with 15 years or more service, and select media members. The online fan ballot will account for three full votes for each of the top five vote getters. Any candidate receiving 75% of the vote will be elected and scheduled for induction during the 2026 Royals season. Eligible alumni who receive at least 10% of the vote can remain on the ballot for five regular phase election cycles.
