Perez sets single-season HR record for catchers
Salvador Perez is the king of power behind the plate.
The Kansas City Royals backstop hit his 46th home run of the season on Monday to break Johnny Bench's record for a primary catcher.
Going places no catcher has gone before.#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/3qtQLUHP3Q
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) September 20, 2021
Bench, widely considered the greatest catcher in MLB history, had held the record since 1970. The Hall of Famer was quick to congratulate Perez on Twitter.
Un hombre muy fuerte! A great man. Congrats @SalvadorPerez15. Most home runs by a catcher in a season. Catching Royal-ty. #MLB @Royals https://t.co/2lv5A6fftf
— Johnny Bench (@JohnnyBench_5) September 20, 2021
The homer also moved Perez into a tie with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major-league home run lead. The two-run shot also broke a tie with Jose Abreu on the RBI leaderboard, giving Perez an MLB-best 115.
Perez, a seven-time All-Star, is one of only six primary catchers to have a 40-homer season, alongside Bench (1970 and '72), Mike Piazza (1997 and '99), Roy Campanella (1953), Todd Hundley (1996), and Javy Lopez (2003).
Perez has hit 31 of his 46 homers at catcher, tying Tampa Bay Rays backstop Mike Zunino for the most long balls hit while playing the position. His other 15 have come as the designated hitter.
The 31-year-old has hit 198 career home runs, ranking second in Royals franchise history. Before this year, Perez's season high was 27 homers in both 2017 and '18.