Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is having a historic season for a catcher.
He has been a steady source of power in an otherwise underwhelming Royals lineup, hitting .277/.315/.544 with 38 home runs, 94 RBI, and a .859 OPS.
His on-base skills leave something to be desired, and he is not a good framer (framing being the art of ‘stealing’ strikes as a catcher), but his power is extremely valuable and gives the Royals some hope for the 2022 season.
For years, Perez was a steady 20-homer, 80-RBI type of bat for the Royals, but this year, his power has exploded and he now ranks second in MLB with his 38 blasts, behind the great Shohei Ohtani (41).
No MLB Player Is Hotter Than Perez Right Now
Perez has been especially hot in his last seven games, going 10-for-28 with six home runs, 14 RBI, and a .357/.455/1.000 line.
#Royals Salvador Perez is the AL Player of the Week. He hit .357 and led MLB in both home runs and RBIs.
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladd0) August 30, 2021
Of course, he has also been producing in his last 15 games (.273/.349/.764 with nine homers and 21 RBI) and in his last 30 (.282/.347/.709 with 15 blasts and 32 RBI).
The 31-year-old Perez remains a key cog in the Royals’ future, as he signed a four-year, $82,000,000 contract, with an annual average salary of $20,500,000.
He also has a $13.5 million club option for 2026.
Even though he is aging, he is having by far the best offensive showing of his career at age 31.
The Royals have used him as a designated hitter often in order to reduce the wear and tear of his knees and legs, too.
Right now, he is the best hitting catcher in MLB and it’s not particularly close.
He has already eclipsed his previous career-high in RBI, which was 80, with 94.
He will, most likely, surpass 100 because we are still not even in September.
Most MLB hitters would dream of a 38-homer, 94-RBI season, and Perez is doing it as a catcher and with a month to spare.
The Royals Need Him For The Future
Kansas City, despite a hot April in which they looked like a top team, hasn’t been very good in 2021.
They have a 59-71 record, good enough for fourth place in the American League Central.
That’s not good at all, but the future looks bright, and Perez will be the most dangerous batter in a transition period.
Kansas City hopes to be competitive in 2022: they have several good young pitchers in Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, Brady Singer, and Jackson Kowar, not to mention prospect Asa Lacy.
When it comes to batters, Perez is by far the most dangerous one, but there are a couple of gems in the minors.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has been excellent in the minors this year and has shown he is ready for the Show, and Nick Pratto is also a promising bat.
There are also quality major leaguers currently on the roster who are still under control in 2022: Andrew Benintendi, Adalberto Mondesi, Nicky Lopez, Carlos Santana, Whit Merrifield, and others.
#Royals potential lineup in 2022:
1. Whit Merrifield (CF)
2. Andrew Benintendi (LF)
3. Salvador Perez (C)
4. Carlos Santana (DH)
5. Adalberto Mondesi (SS)
6. Bobby Witt Jr. (3B)
7. Nick Pratto (1B)
8. Kyle Isbel/Soler/Dozier (RF)
9. Nicky Lopez (2B)🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Luke Moehle (@LukeMoehle) June 17, 2021
All of them are good on varying levels, but none of them, except for Witt, carries Perez’s offensive upside for next season.
NEXT: Kansas City Royals Were Wise To Hold Onto Whit Merrifield