2023 Season in Review: The best Royals home runs

This year the Royals smacked 163 home runs, tied for the third-most in club history. Here are some of the top home runs for the Royals in 2023.

July 16 - Drew Waters blasts it 465 feet

Drew Waters hit just eight home runs in 2023, all from the left-side of the plate. Despite only hitting a few blasts, he had the longest home run of the year by any Royals hitter. On July 16 against the Rays, Waters faced Yonny Chirinos with the Royals up 5-0. Waters turned on a high fastball and knew he got a hold of one. The ball ended up in the fountains at Kauffman Stadium, 465 feet away from home plate.

July 28 - Bobby Witt walk off grand slam

The Royals blew a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning in a late July game against the Twins, and it appeared they were headed to another loss when Minnesota went ahead in the top of the tenth inning. But Twins closer Jhoan Duran walked the bases loaded with one out, setting the stage for Bobby Witt Jr. Bobby was just starting to break out, but he had his coming out party in this game, smacking a thrilling walk-off grand slam that would begin a season-high seven-game winning streak.

August 15 - Bobby’s inside-the-park home run

Some guys have power to hit it over the fence, others have the speed to run around the bases. The Royals got themselves a shortstop that can do both! Bobby showed the wheels in an August game against the Mariners, when he sent a line drive to right that Seattle outfielder Dominic Canzone misplayed. The ball rolled to the wall and Bobby was off to the races. The relay throw was late as Bobby slid across home like an airplane with the inside-the-park home run.

September 1 - Salvy passes Roy Campanella for home runs by catchers

Hundreds of players have squatted behind home plate and donned the “tools of ignorance” but few have done it and been able to hit for as much power as Salvador Perez. On September 1, Salvy hit his 20th home run of the year, but the 243rd of his career, passing Hall of Famer Roy Campanella for 11th-most among catchers. Salvy would homer again in that game and end the year with 246 career home runs, just six behind Javy Lopez for 10th all-time.

September 16 - Logan Porter hits his first MLB home run

We’re used to seeing organizational soldiers come up with expanded rosters in September to get a taste of MLB action as a reward for their service. That has been curtailed in recent years with rosters expanding to just 28. But when the Royals had some catchers go down late in the year, they turned to Logan Porter, a long-time farmhand in his seventh year in the organization. He got into 11 games late in the year, and was able to smack a home run in “The Show”, something he’ll always be able to tell his friends and family about.

September 29 - Bobby joins the 30/30 club

It’s always fun to beat up on the Yankees, but Bobby Witt Jr. put the icing on the cake in a late September game. The Royals ran Carlos Rodon out of the game early, putting up nine in the first inning, pretty much putting the game out of reach. The only drama left was if Bobby Witt Jr. could home one more time to join the 30 home run/30 stolen base club. In the seventh inning, Bobby finally got a hold of one and sent it towards the Royals Hall of Fame, becoming the first 30/30 player in club history, and it was just the 21st time a player had hit 30 home runs and stolen 40 bases in a season.