Salvador Perez is much more than just another baseball player — he’s been the heart and soul of the Kansas City Royals for the past 14 years. He made his debut in 2011 and has given the Royals a lot to be happy about. He’s the last remaining member of the 2015 World Series champions roster, where he won the World Series MVP and has been a nine-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove winner, a five-time Silver Slugger winner and a Clemente Award winner. He’s the true embodiment of what it means to be a Kansas City Royal.
Salvy — as he’s better known — didn’t exactly burst onto the scene, as he saw inconsistent playing time his first two seasons. His first full season in Kansas City was a preview of how consistent of a player he would be. He won his first Gold Glove and was an All-Star. Salvy helped lead the Royals to the postseason and their first World Series appearance since 1985. The 2014 World Series against the San Francisco Giants is one of the best in recent history, going to seven games. Salvy slashed an impressive line of .333/.360/.500 in the series. The Giants prevailed, but the young Royals were primed to come for it all.
The 2015 season was one that the Royals and their fans will never forget. They had five All-Stars, three Gold Glovers and one Silver Slugger. The Royals were good, and in a weak American League Central Division, they didn’t face much competition for the playoffs. Salvy helped lead the Royals to their second title in team history. He won the World Series MVP, batting an astonishing .364/.391/.455. Salvy cemented himself as a Kansas City legend.
His 2021 season was also amazing. At the time, it was the greatest display of power from the catcher position of all time. He hit an AL-leading 48 home runs and 121 RBIs. He won his fourth Silver Slugger and finished seventh in MVP voting, the highest finish of his career.
In 2023, Salvy had the honor of being named the Royals’ fourth captain in team history, joining Royals greats George Brett, Mike Sweeney and Frank White. That season, Salvy thanked the Royals for the honor by earning his eighth All-Star selection.
Salvy has become a fan favorite over the years, and deservedly so. In 2024, he won the Roberto Clemente Award, meaning he was the best humanitarian in baseball for that year. He’s well on his way to becoming one of the greatest Royals and catchers of this generation. He’s second all-time in Royals home runs with 303, and he is more than likely going to beat the record, which is held by Brett with 317. He’s also second all-time in RBIs with 1,016, seventh in games played with 1,707, sixth in hits with 1,712 and third in extra base hits with 634.
Perez has been through the good, the bad and the ugly with the Royals. He continues to show that he can play well, and the Royals should never let him go. He means more to Kansas City than just the name on the back of his jersey. He’s their “Mr. Royal.”
Edited by Colin Simmons l [email protected]
Copy edited by Ellenna Forbes and Avery Copeland | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source themaneater.com ’
