Brett, a left-handed hitter joined the Kansas City Royals briefly in 1973 and took over the third base job the following season. In 1975, he led the league with 195 hits and 13 triples. The following year, he won his first batting title with a .333 average and again led with 215 hits and 14 triples.

Brett hit 45 doubles in 1978 to lead the league. In 1979, he was the league leader in hits and triples for a third time, with 212 and 20, respectively.

In 1990, Brett won his third and last batting title with a .329 average and also led the league with 45 doubles. He collected his 3,000th career hit late in the 1992 season and retired after hitting .266 in 1993.

Brett was named to the AL All-Star team 11 years in a row, from 1976 through 1986, and again in 1988. An excellent situation hitter who could go to the opposite field when a single was needed, pull the pull when a home run was needed, and drive the ball into the air when a sacrifice fly was needed, Brett starred in post-season play.

Brett had a career .305 batting average with 3,154 hits, including 665 doubles, 137 triples, and 317 home runs. He scored 1,583 runs and had 1,595 RBI.