Jose Offerman: The Best Hitter In Royals History?

Trivia question: Who has the highest batting average in Royals history (minimum of 1,500 plate appearances)? That’s easy, right? George Brett. Or if you suspect a trick question, you might go with someone who was famous for their hitting, like Mike Sweeney, Billy Butler, or Hal McRae. But it’s not any of those guys. Instead, it’s Jose Offerman, who hit .306 as a Royal to barely best Brett’s .305.

Jose Antonio Offerman Dono was born on November 8, 1968, in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. The city has a long-standing reputation as a hotbed of baseball talent, with nearly 100 major leaguers hailing from a city of about 217,000 people over the years. Jose Offerman attended Colegio Biblico Cristiano High School, then signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1986. The Dodgers kept him out of the minor leagues until 1988, but he quickly made his way through the system. He hit .331/.421/.438 with 57 stolen bases for Great Falls in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 1988, followed that up with a .296/.387/.375 season split between the A and AA levels in 1989, and .326/.416/.410 for Triple-A Albuquerque in 1990. He made his big league debut on August 19 of that season.

The bat was obviously there, and Offerman had displayed tremendous speed, a strong arm, and plenty of range at shortstop. Despite that, his defense was still a concern, as he had committed 50 errors in his 1989 season. The Dodgers also hoped he would develop a little more power, as he had only hit six home runs in the minors through the 1990 season. However, he did hit a home run in his first major-league at-bat, taking Dennis Martinez deep and becoming the first Dodger since 1947 to accomplish the feat.

Offerman’s time in Dodger blue was definitely up and down. After part-time duty in 1990 and 1991, he established himself as an everyday player in 1992. His defense was still an issue, as he led the majors in errors in 1992, 1993, and 1995. During the 1994 season, he got into an argument with manager Tommy Lasorda after being given a bunt sign, and was soon sent back to Albuquerque for the rest of the season. Still, in 1993, he had 1.9 bWAR, and in 1995, he had 2.6 bWAR and made an All-Star team for the first time. But near the end of the 1995 season, he suffered a shoulder injury and was benched. The Dodgers had had it with the errors and other misplays that didn’t necessarily show in the box score. When they signed free agent shortstop Greg Gagne, who had been the Royals’ starter for three seasons, Offerman was expendable. On December 17, he was traded to Kansas City for relief pitcher Billy Brewer.

The move did not help Offerman’s defense, as he committed five errors in the first eight games. But the Royals were desperate for offense and needed his bat in the lineup. So soon, he was moved to first base. It made sense, as many of his errors came on throws. And, oddly enough, it worked! Offerman committed five errors in 96 games at the cold corner. He also played 38 games at second base, with one error, and one game in center field, where he handled all six chances without incident. He also hit .303/.384/.417, stole 24 bases, led the team in walks by far with 74, and hit a career-high five home runs.

With Offerman showing he could handle second base and the desire for more power at first base, the Royals made an offseason trade to acquire shortstop Jay Bell and first baseman Jeff King from the Pittsburgh Pirates. That penciled Offerman in at the keystone for 1997. But he would endure an injury-plagued season, with a groin injury in early April, a bout of chicken pox in mid-July, and a sprained ankle in mid-August, limiting him to 106 games. He hit .297/.359/.394 and, while he wasn’t going to make anyone forget Frank White, committed just nine errors in 101 games at second base.

But Offerman rebounded in a big way in 1998. He played 158 games, hit .315/.403/.438, stole 45 bases, and led the majors with 13 triples. He also enjoyed a 27-game hitting streak; when that was snapped, he followed it with a six-game streak. The 27-gamer, at the time, was the second longest in team history, behind Brett, of course (both were passed by Whit Merrifield in 2018-19). Had he picked up a hit in that one game and run it to 34, he would still have the franchise record. On the other hand, if Offerman had collected just three fewer hits as a Royal, he would not be the answer to our trivia question. 

Offerman was a free agent after the 1998 season, and with those numbers and this being the late-90s Royals, it was no surprise when he signed with the Boston Red Sox. He played 3 1/2 seasons in Boston before being traded to Seattle in 2002. He then played in the independent Atlantic League in 2003 before making it back to the majors with Minnesota in 2004, and wrapped up his time in the bigs with Philadelphia and the New York Mets in 2005.

Offerman’s post-MLB career was…eventful. In 2007, he was back in the Atlantic League, playing for the Long Island Ducks, when he was involved in an ugly brawl. After being hit by a pitch, Offerman charged the mound, still holding his bat, which he used on both pitcher and catcher. The pitcher sustained a broken finger, while the catcher suffered a concussion that basically ended his career. Offerman was arrested and charged with two counts of assault, for which he received two years of probation. The catcher sued him and was eventually awarded $940,000.

That was the end of Offerman’s time in organized baseball in America. He had some success as a manager in LIDOM, the professional Dominican league, but was involved in another incident in 2010, punching an umpire during an argument. That got him a lifetime suspension in that league, although it was lifted in 2013. More recently, he has managed in the Mexican League.