Salvador Perez continues to find success with the Royals.
Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez has become one of the most reliable veteran catchers in the sport. The nine-time All-Star is seemingly a lock to offer 20-30 home runs and 80-100 RBI at the plate. He's also been extremely durable for a veteran catcher in recent years, appearing in at least 140 games in each of the past three seasons. Of course, he spends some time at first base and designated hitter, but Perez is still catching as well.
Will the 35-year-old be able to continue his consistent production in 2026?
In some ways, 2025 was a down year for him. He slashed just .236/.284/.446 after recording a .271/.330/.456 slash line in 2024. Perez was still productive, though, hitting 30 home runs and driving in 100 runs. He also had 35 doubles.
Many catchers struggle offensively. Most teams are content if their backstop gives them 15-20 homers. Perez hitting 30 long balls in his mid-30s is something the Royals certainly won't complain about. It may have been a down season for his standards, but 2025 was a dream offensive season for many catchers.
Salvador Perez's 2026 Outlook
The underlying numbers suggest that Perez is not displaying too many concerning signs of decline. In 2025, he recorded his lowest strike out rate (19.5 percent) since 2017. Perez has never walked much, but he had a higher walk percentage than his career rate last year.
He's still hitting the ball hard and elevating the baseball on a consistent enough basis to find success. As long as he stays healthy, there is no reason to believe that Perez won't hit 20-30 home runs again.
Kansas City has done an impressive job of building around its core of stars. Bobby Witt Jr. is the franchise player of the future, while Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino are among the team's core players. Meanwhile, Salvador Perez is the leader on the roster.
The Royals have brought in a number of position players for depth purposes. As a result, Perez's productivity in the middle of the lineup will be especially important. He should have plenty of RBI opportunities in 2026.
While Perez may never replicate his 2021 results again -- when he led the league with 48 home runs and 121 RBI while hitting .273 with an .859 OPS -- he is still among the most consistent offensive catchers in baseball. The Royals star will likely have another big season in 2026.