Royals catcher Salvador Perez continues to defy age and time with 9th MLB All-Star appearance

ARLINGTON, Texas — There might not be a player more synonymous with this century’s golden era of Kansas City Royals baseball than longtime catcher Salvador Perez. From his electric smile to his ability to continue producing at a high level into his 30s, Perez’s legacy of greatness has only grown over the years.

While Perez, 34, is now in the back half of his career, it’s not a swan song. In fact, he has found a second wind in the back half of his career, slashing .279/.341/.468 with a team-leading 17 homers for a Royals squad that sits 52-45 and two games back of a wild card at the break.

“It’s a lot of sacrifice, especially in the offseason,” Perez told Yahoo Sports. “You need to take care of your body. Take care of your [diet] and work hard. It’s a lot of sacrifices you gotta make if you wanna play in the big leagues for a long time.”

Perez’s success this season was never guaranteed. Following the Royals’ three-year run of dominance capped by their 2015 World Series title, things began to take a turn in Kansas City as the shine of the World Series faded.

As the Royals took a step back, it became clear they were starting to rebuild again, something that’s not exactly new in Kansas City. The team began to move on from its World Series heroes, allowing first baseman Eric Hosmer and center fielder Lorenzo Cain to walk in free agency in 2017 and trading Mike Moustakas in ’18.

Often when an organization goes in a new direction, it means saying goodbye to the franchise’s former pillars. But even after seeing his teammates on the move, the desire to leave Kansas City was never there for Perez.

“They feel like a family in Kansas City,” he said. “I understand sometimes it’s about business. People have to take care of their families, I get it. I still talk with Hosmer, LoCain, Moose, all those guys. I think it’s part of life. You go to the next place and try to do your best wherever you’re going.”

Yet even with the Royals taking a step back, the team stepped up for one of its best players, signing Perez to a five-year, $52 million extension in March 2021 to keep him in Kansas City until at least the end of 2025. With that, he committed to sticking around for the next good Royals team.

“It was kinda hard,” he said. “When you taste the playoffs, you want to play in the playoffs every year. But you’re not gonna make it every year.”

Amid all the losing, Perez continued to show that he could lead a clubhouse that has completely changed since the team won the World Series. In turn, he has played a significant role in welcoming in the next era of Royals baseball, highlighted by Bobby Witt Jr., who has gone from one of baseball’s top prospects to one of its budding superstars.

And while Witt has taken the reins as the franchise cornerstone, signing an 11-year, $288.8 million deal before this season, Perez has continued to produce in his 14th season with the organization. For the Royals’ young superstar, having the veteran catcher with him along the way has made a significant impact.

“He takes everything day by day,” Witt said when asked what he has learned from Perez. “And he doesn’t really worry about what happened in the past. He goes 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, and the next day, he’s the same guy. Just being able to know that today’s a new day. There’s another opportunity, and he’s got to live in the present.”

Whatever Perez and Witt are doing, it’s working. Together, they have provided most of Kansas City’s offensive firepower this season. For his part, Perez has been able to tap into more power as he has aged, with 111 homers in his past three-plus seasons, including a career-high 48 in 2021. With 263 career homers, he has a shot at 300, a milestone only seven catchers in MLB history have reached.

“It’s unbelievable,” Witt said of Perez’s longevity. “I’m not surprised with the work that guy puts in.”

Perez’s production has kept him as an integral part of the Royals’ offense, even as the team has gotten younger and more athletic and seen changes to the coaching staff and in the front office. The Royals’ nine-time All-Star was named the team’s captain prior to the 2023 season, which is a big deal for the organization. He is the first Kansas City captain since Mike Sweeney in 2007 and just the fourth in franchise history to wear the “C” on his chest.

The presence of the longtime catcher — the last member of the 2015 World Series team still playing in the big leagues — isn’t something that can be overlooked.

“Playing against him for years, you have the respect because of his name and his numbers,” Royals right-hander Seth Lugo said. “But once you get to know him, I mean, what a great person. Anybody that’s ever met him, you’re gonna have to respect them and treat them right because he’s going to treat everyone right.”

These days, Perez catches fewer games, often getting time at designated hitter or first base, which has helped him stay in the lineup. The five-time Gold Glove winner has caught more than 10,000 innings in his big-league career. And while he won’t say for certain when he’ll be done, Perez believes he still has more in the tank.

With the Royals’ trajectory pointing upward, that could be the additional boost to keep going.

“As many years as I can,” Perez said when asked how long he’ll play. “We’re going to keep working hard, sacrificing. And we’re gonna see.”