Salvador Perez, do Royals, se preparou para a temporada da MLB de maneira única

Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez went back to his roots this winter.

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The Royals team captain suited up for Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League. It was one of his childhood dreams, and it came at the right time.

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On Saturday, Perez, who also will represent his home country in the World Baseball Classic, said the experience was special.

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“It was amazing,” Perez said. “I don’t remember the last time I played. Last December, I played 22 games and Jose Alguacil was the manager. I played for Caracas, my mom’s team, so she was super excited. You know, I think it’s going to help me. It’s kind of different to face some pitchers and not wait for a month to face pitchers here in live BP (batting practice) in spring training.”

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Perez was productive in limited work. He hit three home runs with Caracas and entered big-league camp in great shape. In a few weeks, he will join Team Venezuela — alongside Royals teammate Maikel Garcia — for the WBC.

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The chance to play for Venezuela was an experience he couldn’t pass up. As a result, Perez pushed for Garcia to be part of the global event.

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“I don’t think I did much to push him,” Perez said. “He’s a great player and deserves to be there. (Venezuela coach Omar) Lopez, we talked a little bit about him. He was 100% convinced that Maikey was going to be on that team.”

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The Royals have several players heading to the WBC. Bobby Witt Jr. and Michael Wacha will play for the United States. Seth Lugo will represent Puerto Rico and Carlos Estévez will join the Dominican Republic. Others include Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone with Team Italy.

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Perez is eager to see his teammates in action. However, he knows the bigger goal is to help the Royals win the World Series in October. It’s his main focus for the 2026 campaign as the Royals missed out on the playoffs a year ago.

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“Last year, it was kind of sad,” Perez said. “It was not the goal. I think I saw a lot of players super excited talking about the playoffs. I think that’s a great mentality.”

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The Royals begin Cactus League play on Feb. 20 against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Perez will get a handful of games before beginning his WBC commitments next month.