Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who has ownership stake in the Royals — congratulated catcher Salvador Perez for setting a major MLB record.
Perez hit his 46th home run on the season, setting an MLB record at the catcher position. Salvy’s unprecedented power was rather unpredictable given his previous season-high output in home runs was 27 in both 2017 and 2018.
Still, Perez has long been on of the best backstops in the game. He’s a seven-time All-Star, and won a World Series with the Royals in 2015, as they defeated the NL’s New York Mets.
Perez’s career year at the tender age of 31 is surprising and bucks a trend, especially at the catcher position. In what’s easily the most demanding position in baseball, Perez has remained behind home plate throughout his elite big-league career.
Royals: Salvador Perez sets big-league record, passing Johnny Bench
Perez was hitting home runs at an elite pace in 2020, as he had 11 dingers in just 37 games. While that campaign was cut short, as was the entire MLB season due to COVID-19, it makes the jump in statistics a little more expected.
The Royals’ backstop’s exit velocity has increased to 92 MPH this year, which puts him in the upper tier of the league. Other than that, nothing obvious has changed in his approach.
It doesn’t matter. Perez will go down as having the greatest power-hitting season in the history of his position. And he’s earned it.
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