Special Assistant to the General Manager/Quality Control
Rusty Kuntz is in his 17th season with the Royals as he returns to the role of Special Assistant to the General Manager/Quality Control, a title he’s held from 2018-20 and since 2022. In 2021, he was the Royals First Base Coach, a role in which he previously served from 2012-17 and from 2008-10.
In between his time as the First Base Coach at the Major League level, Kuntz was Kansas City’s Minor League Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator from 2010-12, including a period that included a stint as the Special Assistant to the GM.
During his time with the Royals, he helped convert Alex Gordon from an infielder to an eight-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner in the outfield. Under Kuntz’s tutelage, Gordon and Lorenzo Cain combined for four All-Star selections and four Wilson Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Prior to his time in Kansas City, Kuntz held various coaching positions in the Houston Astros (1987-88), Seattle Mariners (1989-92), Florida Marlins (1993-2001), Atlanta Braves (2002) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2003-07) organizations. A member of the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers as a player, Rusty resides in Leawood, Kan., with his wife Salli. The couple’s son, Kevin, is an Assistant Coach for the Royals Double-A affiliate, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.