This guy is the Royals' best-kept secret

This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter, written this week by Dawn Klemish. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DETROIT -- The red-hot Royals have cruised since the Trade Deadline, and despite an extra-innings 6-5 loss on Saturday night that ended a five-game win streak, they’ve still got a chance to take the series with Sunday’s finale against the Tigers. While most of the starting cast has been here since the season began, it’s clear that something has clicked lately for Kansas City.

On Thursday, Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino stole the show. Friday’s magic was provided by Salvador Perez, but it also included a rare feat: The Royals notched nine consecutive hits, matching a club record set on May 7, 1980.

And yet, for all the big plays, booming homers and mad dashes around the bases -- let’s also not forget that Witt had a 15-game hit streak that ended Saturday during which he hit .508(!) -- one guy is quietly having one heck of a season under the radar.

But it’s getting pretty hard not to notice Freddy Fermin.

There are few tougher roles than that of backup catcher behind Perez, but Fermin is no stranger to patience and hard work. It’s what’s gotten him this far and what makes him so easy to root for.

“I think we're very fortunate to have essentially two frontline catchers, just one of them happens to be a future Hall of Famer, so Freddie gets a little bit lost in that,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “... Everybody raved about him as a person and a teammate, and he just got up here and did his thing.

“That's kind of the beauty of Freddy. The attitude he brings every day is contagious.”

While Fermin won’t beat out Perez for the starting job, his humble approach, dedication and diligence have opened the door to something just as good.

Fermin entered play Sunday after a career-best 10-game hit streak ended the night before, and he has a .306 batting average, six homers and 29 RBIs in a career-high 71 games this season. The 29-year-old’s consistent production presents a great problem for the Royals, who, instead of only utilizing Fermin on Salvy’s days off, have slotted him in at designated hitter or had him catch while Perez mans first.

On Saturday, Quatraro even batted him leadoff for the first time in his career, taking advantage of Fermin’s .315 career average and .844 OPS against left-handed pitching.

But Fermin’s work ethic is what impresses his teammates most. He is constantly moving between the cages, field and workout room. A strict routine, he said, is “the key to creating confidence.”

It’s an approach that’s paid off in spades, but with just 144 career games under his belt, Fermin also knows there’s still much work ahead. And so, while he enjoys the near-everyday role he’s created for himself with his bat, he’s also honing his catching game to become a more complete player.

What better way to learn than by picking the brain of one of baseball’s greats?

“It's an honor to be a teammate of Salvador Perez,” Fermin said. “He’s taught me a lot of things out and inside the field. I've just been learning from him and continuing [to grow].”