Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez etched his name in the record books on Monday afternoon against the New York Yankees.
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Perez belted his ninth home run of the 2026 season in the sixth inning. As he rounded the bases, he also climbed toward eventual National Baseball Hall of Fame glory.
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With his 136th homer at Kauffman Stadium, Perez tied Royals legend George Brett for most home runs at the venue that opened for Major League Baseball’s 1973 season.
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And Perez did so in a familiar way. He blasted a 91.6 mph sinker over the wall in left-center field off Yankees starter Will Warren. The homer traveled 422 feet and tied the game at a critical moment.
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Perez’s solo shot also pushed him past Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez for the seventh-most home runs by a primary catcher in MLB history. With 312, Perez trails only Mike Piazza (427), Johnny Bench (389), Carlton Fisk (376), Yogi Berra (358), Lance Parrish (324) and Gary Carter (324).
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“It’s pretty cool,” Perez said. “I hoped we won today to celebrate that.
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“I just tried to do my job. It’s good when they announce your name around a Hall of Famer. You know, that’s one of the goals. If you don’t think that way, I think you are in the wrong sport. I’m going to continue to do my job, prepare myself every day, work hard and see what happens.”
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Monday afternoon’s home run also gave Perez another distinction: He now owns the most home runs in MLB all-time by a Latino catcher.
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“That’s why I believe in the guy,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, look what he’s doing. He’s done it for a lot longer than I’ve been here.
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“And you know, he doesn’t hang his head when things aren’t going his way. He doesn’t pout. He keeps working. And to tie George at anything is remarkable.”
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There aren’t many players like Perez. He has carried the organization for 15 seasons — winning World Series MVP in 2015 — and is showing no signs of slowing down. The Royals follow his lead at every turn and that is part of why they continue to celebrate him.
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“Every time you come to the yard, it’s special being able to play with him and be able to call him a teammate and the captain,” Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “And so, it’s just an honor. It’s awesome to see him kind of surpassing all those guys. And it’s like you could show up and what’s next? He’s starting to get hot and it’s fun to watch him when he’s going.”
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The Royals fell 4-3 to the Yankees on Monday. It was their 11th regular-season loss to New York dating to Sept. 10, 2024.
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Perez is eager to snap the skid. The home run was nice, but he will be looking to help his team get back in the win column Tuesday night.
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“Get ready for tomorrow and play the game,” Perez said. “That’s the only way we can do it, no? And try to win some games.”
Jaylon Thompson cubre a los Reales para The Kansas City Star. Anteriormente cubrió la Serie Mundial de 2021 y los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 2016 en Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Jaylon es un orgulloso alumno de la Universidad de Georgia.
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