Mike Moustakas

Lore & Background

Moustakas was drafted in the first round (second overall) of the 2007 MLB draft by the Royals out of Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California. He was often greeted by calls of 'Moose', a nickname given by his little league coach along with fans and the media. He set a Royals franchise record with 9 RBI in a game on September 12, 2015, and hit 38 home runs in 2017, a new Royals single season record.

In Their Own Story

The night air over Kauffman Stadium in October 2015 tasted like cold beer and exhaust fumes. Moustakas stood at third base, glove low, eyes tracking a fly ball that hung in the amber light of the stadium lamps. The Mets had just scored, and the crowd noise was a low, grinding hum—the kind that means the city is holding its breath. He turned, read the throw, and settled his glove. The ball popped in clean. He looked up at the mound, nodded to the pitcher, and the hum shifted, just slightly, toward the side of the diamond where the Royals dugout sat. No one on the field was going to hit the walk-off. No one was going to be the hero. But the ball was in the glove, the out was recorded, and the next pitch was coming. That was the job. That was always the job. And in the stands, a thousand fans who had waited four decades just watched him turn and jog back to his bag, and for a moment, that was enough.

Reader's Guide

Moustakas debuted for the Royals on June 10, 2011, and played for Kansas City through the 2017 season, re-signing in March 2018 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 28, 2018. He later played for the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Los Angeles Angels. He won the World Series with the Royals in 2015.

Did You Know?

• Moustakas set a Royals franchise record with 9 RBI in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on September 12, 2015.
• He hit 38 home runs in 2017, breaking the Royals' single-season record.
• Moustakas was selected to the All-Star Game via the Final Vote in both 2015 and 2017.
• He hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the 2018 NL Wild Card Game for the Brewers.