Power Play: Royals’ Salvador Perez an All-Star and now a Home Run Derby participant
The best offensive start in Salvador Perez’s career has resulted in a Home Run Derby invitation.
Perez learned on Friday that he will participate at the event on July 12 at Coors Field in Denver.
Perez leads the Royals and is tied for fourth in the American League with 20 home runs entering Saturday. That puts him on a pace to approach 40 for the season. His career best is 27, which he accomplished in 2017 and 2018.
“It’s something I wanted to do before my career was over,” Perez said of the Derby. “It’s something I’ve checked off my list. But I’m there to compete. I want to win.”
Perez will be the fourth Royals player to complete in the Derby, following Bo Jackson in 1989, Danny Tartabull in 1991 and Mike Moustakas in 2017.
He’s the eighth catcher to compete in the Home Run Derby and the first since the Yankees’ Gary Sanchez in 2017
Earlier this week came the announcement that Perez was named the starting catcher on the American League All-Star team. It’s his seventh selection and sixth time to start.
“It’s exciting and a lot of hard work,” Perez said. “I tell people, never quit. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Perez’s best All-Star game came in 2016 in San Diego. He hit a two-run homer off former Royals pitcher Johnny Cueto to give the AL a 3-1 lead in the third inning. Teammate Eric Hosmer also homered in the inning. The American League went on to win 4-2 and Hosmer was named the game’s MVP.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Power Play: Royals’ Salvador Perez an All-Star and now a Home Run Derby participant."