Eric Hosmer. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Hosmer will go down as a Royals legend

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 2/21/24

Eric Hosmer likely won't be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done.

That's not to say he didn't have one heck of an MLB career, though. In 13 seasons, he boasted a career batting average of .276 with 198 home runs and 893 RBIs. He also won four Gold Gloves.

Eric Hosmer has announced his retirement after 13 seasons, four Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger Award, and a 2015 #WorldSeries championship. pic.twitter.com/QYvCj8us2I
— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2024

It maybe wasn't legendary but that's one heck of a career no matter how you slice it. Hosmer played the final stretch of his career with the San Deigo Padres, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, but speaking of legendary, there's one place where the 34-year-old will always be a legend: and that's in Kansas City.

Drafted by the Kansas City Royals No. 3 overall in the 2008 MLB Draft, the apex of Hosmer's time in the "City of Fountains" were these moments against the New York Mets in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series.

4x Gold Glove Award
1x All-Star
1x Sliver Slugger
2015 World Series Champion

Eric Hosmer will always be a Kansas City legend https://t.co/HnnETw0AdY pic.twitter.com/jYtcJsHmDc
— Royals Daily (@RoyalsDaily_) February 21, 2024

Hosmer slid home and tied the game in the ninth and the Royals finished it with five runs in the 12th to end a 30-year World Series drought.

In all, Hosmer had a slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) of .284/.342/.439 in seven seasons as a Royal. He was a candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2011 and an MVP candidate in 2017 after playing all 162 games with a slash line of .318/.385/.498 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs.

Again, he may not be a true Hall of Famer, but in Kansas City, he's a legend.

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