Kansas City Royals: Salvador Perez building Hall of Fame case
By David Hill
There is no question as to what Salvador Perez has meant to the Kansas City Royals. He has been their heart and soul, a leader in every meaning of the word. There is seemingly no question that, when he chooses to retire, his number 13 will be retired by the team, forever immortalized with his name.
On Sunday, Perez continued to etch his name into the list of greatest catchers in major league history. He hit his 38th home run of the season, setting the American League mark for homers in a year by a catcher. Johnny Bench holds the major league record, having hit 45 homers back in 1970. It is entirely possible that, with a month to go in the season, Perez could catch Bench for the record.
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez setting sights on Hall of Fame
As it is, Perez has put together an impressive career. He has posted a .270/.301/.460 batting line, hitting 190 homers and 208 doubles. Those numbers are excellent for a catcher, and would be even better had he not missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery. Defensively, he has saved 61 runs, the 15th best mark in MLB history.
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Perez certainly has the accolades to back up his impressive totals. He is a seven time All Star and has won five Gold Glove awards, his work behind the plate making a major difference for the Royals pitching staff. He also played a key part in the 2015 postseason, being named the World Series MVP as the Royals won the championship in five games.
Those may not be the only accolades that Perez receives. If he continues upon this pace to finish out his career, he could be charting a course for the Hall of Fame. His blend of excellent defense and solid offense, including his powerful bat, could lead to induction down the line.
At 31 years old, he still has plenty of time to add to his resume. He could easily get close to 2000 hits and hit over 300 homers by the time his career is over, numbers that could sway the voters. Add in his defensive abilities, and if Perez can stay healthy, he may be the second player to enter the Hall of Fame as a member of the Royals.
Royals have plenty of power on the way. dark. Next
Salvador Perez has had an impressive first part of his career. If the Kansas City Royals catcher can continue to produce, he could end up in the Hall of Fame.