September 15th to October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, and it’s definitely a time to celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture. That is true in baseball, with the celebratory month taking place at the end of the season and the start of the postseason.
The Royals celebrated Viva Los Royals on September 6th against the Twins (which technically is before Hispanic Heritage Month, but they didn’t have an ideal homestand at the start of the month).
That got me thinking: who are the best players of Hispanic/Latino heritage at each position in franchise history?
In this post, I will highlight the best players in Royals history of Hispanic/Latino descent and include honorable mentions who should also be recognized for their positive contributions to the Royals franchise. It was fun to list some names that haven’t been talked about in a while.
For transparency, I only nominated those who had positive fWAR marks. That eliminated some names like Omar Infante, Alex Rios, and Yuniesky Betancourt (just kidding), who had negative fWAR totals in their tenures with the Royals.
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Venezuela (19 fWAR)
This one was easy, as Salvy is not only the most decorated current Royal, but also has the best candidacy to make the Baseball Hall of Fame (for now).
Salvy is the most decorated player in the Royals franchise history, not only from Latin America but also from Venezuela. In fact, it seems that due to Salvy’s influence and success, the Royals have made incredible inroads in scouting from Venezuela. Every season, it is typical to see a majority of their international signings hail from Salvy’s home country.
The Royals are likely to bring Salvy back for 2026, as they hold a club option for next year. That said, it will be interesting to see if JJ Picollo and the Royals will agree to an extension so he can retire in Kansas City. When he does, he likely will have his number retired along with George Brett, Frank White, and Dick Howser.
Honorable mentions: Freddy Fermin, VEN (4.1 fWAR), Miguel Olivo, DR (2.2 fWAR), Brayan Pena, CUB (2.0 fWAR), Buck Martinez, CUB (0.9 fWAR), and Ellie Rodriguez, PR (0.6 fWAR).
First Base: Eric Hosmer, Cuba (10 fWAR)
While Salvy was a straightforward choice, first base was a much more arduous process. There isn’t a long history of Royals first basemen who have Hispanic/Latino heritage.
Even though his name is not Spanish, Hosmer’s mother is of Cuban descent, with family ties directly to Cuba. Despite leaving Kansas City in free agency, Hosmer had a stellar career with the Royals, with a 10 fWAR in seven seasons. He also had many big playoff moments during the Royals’ 2014 and 2015 postseason runs.
Hosmer should be nearing Royals Hall of Fame candidacy soon. It seems likely that he will be voted in and inducted as soon as he is eligible, much like Alex Gordon, who was inducted this season.
Honorable Mention: Jose Offerman, DR (8.1 fWAR).
Second Base: Cookie Rojas, Cuba (6.2 fWAR)
Rojas spent 7.5 seasons with the Royals and was known more for his defensive abilities than his hitting. In 880 games with the Royals, Rojas slashed .268/.314/.346 with a .660 OPS. However, he was a four-time All-Star with the Royals from 1971 to 1974.
Rojas was the first major Hispanic/Latino star for the Royals franchise, and he was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. Kansas City has had a pretty solid history of Hispanic/Latino second basemen, with some interesting honorable mentions below who were very similar in skillset to Rojas.
Honorable Mentions: Nicky Lopez, MEX (6.9 fWAR), Mike Aviles, PR (4.5 fWAR), Carlos Febles, DR (0.7 fWAR).
Third Base: Maikel Garcia, Venezuela (9.1 fWAR)
It seems rash to think Garcia has been the best Hispanic/Latino third baseman in Royals history, but the data backs it up. Of qualified third basemen, Garcia ranks 5th all-time in fWAR, behind George Brett, Kevin Seitzer, Joe Randa, and Mike Moustakas.
The Venezuelan infielder had a big season in 2025. He not only made his first All-Star game, but he also set career-highs in homers (16), batting average (.286), OPS (.800), wRC+ (121), and fWAR (5.6).
If this progress continues, Garcia may finish as the best Hispanic/Latino third-baseman in Royals history, regardless of how long he stays in Kansas City.
Honorable Mentions: Alberto Callaspo, VEN (3.8 fWAR), Esteban German, DR (2.4 fWAR), Wilson Betemit, DR (1.5 fWAR).
Shortstop: Alcides Escobar, Venezuela (11.3 fWAR)
Staying within the family (Garcia and Escobar are cousins), Escobar also gets the nod as the best Hispanic/Latino shortstop in Royals history.
The Venezuelan-born infielder is the third-best shortstop in Royals history by fWAR, behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Freddy Patek, according to Fangraphs. Hitting wasn’t a strong suit for Escobar (career 72 wRC+), but he had his best stretch with the Royals from 2014-2016, when he accumulated a 6.3 fWAR over those three seasons.
Escobar was also known for some big postseason moments, as he earned ALCS MVP honors in 2015. His most memorable individual moment was in Game 1 of the World Series, when he hit an inside-the-park home run off Mets starter Matt Harvey at Kauffman Stadium.
Escobar spent eight seasons in Kansas City and could be an interesting Royals Hall of Fame case when he is eligible for induction.
Honorable Mentions: Rey Sanchez, PR (7.0 fWAR), Adalberto Mondesi, DR (6.9 fWAR), and Angel Berroa, DR (1.6 fWAR).
Left Field: David DeJesus, Puerto Rico (19.7 fWAR)
DeJesus was born in America, but has Puerto Rican heritage. The Royals outfielder played in a dark era of Royals baseball, but he was incredibly productive in his tenure in Kansas City.
In addition to posting a 19.7 fWAR with the Royals, DeJesus also slashed .289/.360/.427 with a 108 wRC+ in 876 career games in Kansas City. Even though he never made an All-Star team, he is the sixth-best Royals outfielder in franchise history, based on fWAR.
The Royals teams DeJesus was on were so terrible that, unfortunately, it has diminished his potential as a Royals Hall of Famer. However, DeJesus should be recognized for his contributions to the Royals franchise, and honoring him as the best Hispanic/Latino left fielder in Royals history seems like a good place to start.
Honorable Mentions: Raul Ibanez, CUB (4.7 fWAR), and Edward Olivares, VEN (0.7 fWAR).
Center Field: Carlos Beltran, Puerto Rico (24.9 fWAR)
Like Salvy, penciling Beltran in at center field on this list is an easy one. Beltran leads all Royals Hispanic/Latino players in fWAR, as his mark is 5.9 wins higher than Salvy. He also won Rookie of the Year as a Royal in 1999, finished in the Top-10 in AL MVP voting in 2003, and made the All-Star team in 2004 before being traded to Houston.
The Royals had that turnaround season in 2003 when they went 83-79, and Beltran was a big part of that temporary resurgence. That season, he slashed .307/.389/.522 with a .911 OPS, and he also hit 23 home runs, collected 100 RBI, and stole 41 bases in 602 plate appearances.
The following year, on Opening Day, Beltran hit a walk-off homer at Kauffman Stadium.
Unfortunately, Beltran’s most memorable years among baseball fans came after he left Kansas City, specifically when he was with the Astros and Mets. That has hurt his Royals Hall of Fame candidacy, as he has not been inducted despite being on the ballot multiple times.
Honorable Mentions: Melky Cabrera, DR (3.5 fWAR) and Cesar Geronimo, DR (0.8 fWAR).
Right Field: Danny Tartabull, Puerto Rico/Cuba (13.9 fWAR)
When it comes to Tartabull, most casual baseball fans know him for his time with the Yankees and his cameos on Seinfeld.
However, Tartabull’s tenure in Kansas City shouldn’t be overlooked. The Puerto-Rican right fielder mashed 124 home runs in 657 career games with the Royals, and he also had a career slash of .290/.376/.518 with Kansas City. In fact, his bWAR in five seasons with the Royals was 4.9 wins higher than his mark with the Yankees, which shows how productive Tartabull was when he played in the City of Fountains.
Tartabull’s lone All-Star appearance came with the Royals in 1990. That season, he hit 31 home runs, collected 100 RBI, and posted a .990 OPS in 557 plate appearances. His 13.9 fWAR ranks 8th all-time for Royals outfielders, and in 2018, he was ranked 41st on the Royals’ All-Time Royals 50th Anniversary team.
He doesn’t get as much buzz with younger Royals fans, but Tartabull may be one of the more underrated Royals outfielders in history, as well as one of the best outfielders of Hispanic/Latino descent.
Honorable Mentions: Paulo Orlando, BRA (1.8 fWAR) and Jorge Bonifacio, DR (0.2 fWAR).
Designated Hitter: Kendrys Morales, Cuba (3.0 fWAR)
This was a tough one between Soler, who became the first Royals hitter in history to hit 40+ home runs in a season, and Morales, who led the Royals to a 2015 World Series title. I eventually went with Morales due to the postseason success and slightly higher fWAR.
In 1,257 plate appearances with the Royals, Morales slashed .277/.344/.476 with a 121 wRC+, 52 HR, and 199 RBI. 2015 was his best year with the Royals, as he hit .290 with an .847 OPS, had 22 home runs and 106 RBI, and won a Silver Slugger at DH.
Honorable Mentions: Jorge Soler, CUB (2.6 fWAR), Jorge Orta, MEX (0.5 fWAR), and Nelson Velázquez, PR (0.2 fWAR).
Starting Pitcher: Yordano Ventura, Dominican Republic (6.8 fWAR)
Ventura didn’t have the best fWAR of Royals starting pitchers with Hispanic/Latino heritage. However, he was the most impactful, as he helped the Royals win two AL pennants and a World Series title. Furthermore, he probably would have accumulated a much higher fWAR had he not passed away in 2017.
In 546 career innings, Ventura had a career ERA of 3.89 and a WHIP of 1.34. He was known for his electric fastball, strikeout ability (20% career K rate), and personality. He was also a crucial piece of the 2015 World Series team, posting a 4.08 ERA and 2.7 fWAR that season and making some big starts in the postseason.
Ventura was taken away far too soon. Hopefully, some memorial will be erected in his honor, whether it’s at Kauffman or the new stadium (wherever it will be located).
Honorable Mentions: Jose Rosado, PR (11.3 fWAR), Bruce Chen, PAN (5.5 fWAR), Edinson Volquez, DR (4.4 fWAR), Jason Vargas, ESP (4.9 fWAR), and Seth Lugo, PR (5.2 fWAR).
Relief Pitcher: Joakim Soria, Mexico (9.8 fWAR)
The Royals have had a solid history of relievers with Hispanic/Latino heritage. Herrera is the most well-known because of his tenure with HDH from 2014 to 2016. Estevez became the second Royal in franchise history to lead the league in saves. Even Hernandez was a big name, though he was more well-known during his tenure with the White Sox.
However, Soria is head-and-shoulders above all other Royals relievers with Hispanic/Latino heritage, especially when looking at his stats.
A former Rule 5 pick, Soria is fourth all-time in Royals franchise history in reliever fWAR and third all-time in saves, according to Fangraphs. Like DeJesus, he primarily pitched during those brutal Royals years, though he did make a return in 2016, after they won their World Series. Soria made the All-Star team twice, both with the Royals: 2008 and 2010.
It would’ve been intriguing to see peak Soria pitching with the 2014 and 2015 Royals teams. While that didn’t happen, he still had a career that should be remembered, nonetheless.
Honorabl Mentions: Kelvin Herrera, DR (7.1 fWAR), Hipolito Pichardo, DR (2.1 fWAR), Carlos Estevez, DR (1.1 fWAR), Roberto Hernandez, PR (1.2 fWAR), and Jose Santiago, PR (0.9 fWAR).
Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images