Alex Gordon Faces Make or Break Year with Royals in 2010

Here is the reality facing the Kansas City Royals: The only way they are ever going to rediscover their glory years of the 1970s and 1980s is if they hit home runs in the draft.

They can’t go out and sign big-time talent, so they have to draft well and develop their own.

Such is the case with many small-market-minded teams (I don’t believe in the term “small market”—I believe there are small-minded owners).

The Royals have done well recently in drafts with the emergence of Zack Greinke and Billy Butler. But if you look at their draft history in the first round since 1993, it’s been an unmitigated disaster.

Over those last 16 years, perhaps no Royals draft pick has had more pressure on him to perform than third baseman Alex Gordon.

When the Royals took Gordon with the No. 2 pick in the 2005 draft, he was the sweet-swinging, left-handed hitter who hit .373 during his junior season at the University of Nebraska and won the Golden Spikes Award (top collegiate player). He was supposed to be the savior. The next George Brett.

Well, things really haven’t worked out that way for Gordon so far.

Gordon was perhaps rushed to the majors in 2007 and hit only .247 with 15 home runs and a .725 OPS in 151 games. It wasn’t the worst year in the world, but he didn’t even receive a single vote in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Even Josh Fields received a vote. Ouch.

Despite the disappointing freshman season, the former Cornhusker improved across the board as a sophomore. Gordon raised his average by 13 points, his OPS by 58 points, walked 23 more times, and hit one more home run in 2008 than he did in 2007.

He did all that despite playing in 17 fewer games. Expectations were extremely high for Gordon in 2009. It was supposed to be his breakout season.

Not so much.

Gordon got off to a horrific start, hitting only .095 in his first seven games, and really looked lost at the plate. He went on the disabled list on April 17 and eventually needed hip surgery. Gordon would return in July, but 2009 was a lost season for him.

Now entering his fourth season in the major leagues, 2010 is a big year for Gordon. He has to step up in order to justify the Royals taking him with the second pick in the 2005 draft.

Gordon needs to stay healthy, he needs to be a leader in the Royals’ clubhouse, and he needs to produce. Remember, Gordon was drafted before Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, and Jay Bruce.

Those players have produced at the major league level. Now it’s Gordon’s turn. If Gordon has a down year in 2010, the bust label will start to circulate around his name.

Here is my barometer for Gordon in 2010: .275 average, 20-plus home runs, a .360 OBP, and an .810 OPS. If Gordon fails to produce those types of numbers in 2010, I would consider his season a disappointment.

2010 is a very big year for Gordon.

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Just as a reminder, tune in to NY Baseball Live with Joe Boesch on WGBB Radio 1240 NY on Sunday, Feb. 21 at around 9:30 PM. I will be talking about baseball, the hot stove, and the upcoming season.