Royals’ Salvador Perez clears major Hall of Fame hurdle with 300th career homer
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- Salvador Perez hit his 300th career homer, achieving a major MLB milestone.
- Perez became the eighth primary catcher in MLB history to reach 300 home runs.
- He now trails George Brett’s Royals HR record by 17 with the 2025 season almost done.
For all the great players in the club’s history, there are undoubtedly two names synonymous with the Kansas City Royals: George Brett and Salvador Perez.
For the last 14 seasons, Perez has served as a franchise icon. He has multiple All-Star Game appearances. He owns five Rawlings Gold Gloves and five Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards — and a prestigious World Series ring.
And his individual stats read like a catalog. Perez is the 10th active player to reach 1,000 career RBIs and the sixth Venezuelan-born player with 250 or more home runs.
On Saturday, Perez etched his name on a different list. One that moved him ever so close to gaining entrance in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Perez hit his 300th career homer against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He belted both career homers No. 299 and No. 300 off Phillies starter Taijuan Walker. The day also included Perez reaching 1,000 career RBIs.
“It’s pretty good,” Perez said. “Feel better if we won the game tonight. I think everybody in this game has some personal goals. And I always say the most important to me is (winning).
“You know, no matter what you do, at the end of the day it’s about ‘win or lose.’ It’s not about us or it’s not about you. So yeah, I feel good with 300 homers and 1,000 RBIs. Thank God, for letting me play the game I love to play and compete every day.”
Perez became the eighth primary catcher in Major League Baseball history to eclipse 300 or more home runs in their career. The list includes Mike Piazza (427 homers), Johnny Bench (389), Carlton Fisk (376), Yogi Berra (358), Gary Carter (324), Lance Parrish (324) and Ivan Rodriguez (311).
Six of those eight players are currently in the Hall of Fame. Perez is also the second of those eight to hit 300 or more homers with one team (Bench).
“It’s an honor just to be able to be one of his teammates and just be able to see what he does day in and day out,” Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. said. “Just throughout all the bumps and bruises he goes through, just throughout the whole entire season ... he is the same guy every day. To me, he is an amazing person and amazing guy.”
Perez began his home run trek on Aug. 29, 2011, against the Detroit Tigers. He bested Max Scherzer — a future Hall of Famer in his own right — at Comerica Park. From there, Perez continued to stockpile the highlights.
In 2017, Perez hit his 100th career home run against the San Diego Padres. Four years later, Perez set a career-high with 48 homers and finished seventh in the American League MVP race.
Perez hit his 250th home run against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The homer was memorable as he reached the milestone at the same venue where the Royals won the 2015 World Series.
Now, Perez is just 17 home runs shy of Brett’s franchise record. He has a great chance of surpassing Brett (317 homers) next season.
The Royals shared a special video from Brett congratulating Perez.
“Hey Sal, congratulations on No. 300,” Brett said in the video. “They always say the first 300 are the hardest. Well, you’ve got 17 more to go to pass me, and I couldn’t be happier for you. The way you’ve represented the organization and this city — oh man, you make me so proud to be a Royal.”
Several Royals also congratulated Perez as he rounded the bases. In the dugout, Royals manager Matt Quatraro came over to share the special moment.
“It’s really emotional in a way to be able to witness part of that,” Quatraro said postgame. “Just know how hard he works and how special he is to this team, to the organization and to the city. I’m really happy for him and his family and what he means to the game. It’s history and you are getting to witness it.”
Perez has long been considered a possible Hall of Fame candidate. He has done everything imaginable as a primary catcher and is still regularly behind the plate. In addition to his Royals captaincy, Perez is also a Roberto Clemente Award winner.
There aren’t many like Perez. He is a beloved figure who has guided the Royals through the highs and lows of the last decade. And he has done it with his signature smile and passion for the game.
“Very cool moment,” starter Ryan Bergert said. “He’s been a staple in the game for a long time. It’s been an honor to play with him and just watch him.”
His 300th home run was likely the last Hall of Fame hurdle to clear. Perez now stands alongside the greatest catchers in the game — and deservedly so, given his illustrious career.
“I always want to be a Royal and I want to stay here for the rest of my career,” Perez said. “Yes, it’s even better that I did it here.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Royals’ Salvador Perez clears major Hall of Fame hurdle with 300th career homer."
