Gordon presented Legion Baseball Grad of the Year award

Kansas City Royals standout Alex Gordon was presented the 2015 American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year Award over the weekend. Gordon was honored prior to the Royals' home game with Texas on June 6. American Legion National Vice Commander Paul Sanford and Keith Melick, Department of Kansas Baseball chairman, presented the award.

A leftfielder, Gordon is batting .251 with six home runs and 25 runs batted in this season. He helped the Royals advance to the World Series last year; Kansas City is a game behind first-place Minnesota in the American League Central Division this year.

Since 1958, the Graduate of the Year Award has been presented to a professional baseball player who played American Legion Baseball as a teenager and who best exemplifies the principals and purposes of The American Legion. Recent previous recipients include Michael Cuddyer, Justin Verlander, Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen.

Gordon played American Legion Baseball for Brager Post 3 in Lincoln, Neb. Watch him talk about his Legion Baseball experience here.