Former Kansas City Royals Flamethrower Takes on Surprising New Career in Politics

Former Kansas City Royals' reliever Kelvin Herrera has been named the mayor of Tenares in the Dominican Republic.

The news was reported by the Kansas City Star:

When Herrera stepped away from baseball at the age of 30 following the 2020 season, some fans scratched their heads because it seemed he was still young enough to pitch. 

But Herrera, 34, has found a new calling: politics. Herrera on Tuesday was elected mayor of his hometown of Tenares in the Dominican Republic. Diario Libre reported Herrera received 49.8% of the vote, defeating Fabiola González (46.2%). “

The time has come to work, to work for my beloved town, for its beautification and organization. The time has come to show my gratitude with the work, with the change towards a different Tenares, a better Tenares,” Herrera said, per Diario Libre.

Herrera is not the first baseball player to turn to politics. We recently learned about former Dodgers' infielder Steve Garvey and his quest for the US Senate, but Herrera is considerably younger to have just entered the political field.

All in all, Herrera was a 10-year veteran who played for the Royals, Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals. He made the All-Star Game in both 2015 and 2016 as a member of the Royals and helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015.

Lifetime, he was 27-32 with a 3.21 ERA. He registered 61 saves, including 26 in 2017 with the Royals. Armed with a triple-digit fastball, he struck out nearly a batter per inning in his career.