'Have fun': Salvy giving teammates same advice he received in '15

NEW YORK -- Royals catcher Salvador Perez stood by his locker Friday afternoon, minutes away from practicing with his team at Yankee Stadium. Before going on the field, Perez was asked if he was a future Baseball Hall of Famer. Perez didn’t hesitate with the answer.

“Yes,” he said. “If you don’t feel that way, you are in the wrong sport. Everybody wants to be a Hall of Famer. People see me like that for a reason. … After 13 years, you [say], ‘Thank God for keeping me healthy and making me do what I love to do.’”

Perez has the accomplishments to back up his claim. He is a nine-time All-Star, has won five Gold Gloves and holds the record for the most home runs by a catcher in a single season. His 48 long balls in 2021 broke Johnny Bench’s mark of 45 homers set in 1970.

Perez, 34, believes he has two, maybe three years left in his playing career. He just had his second 100-RBI season and is one of the reasons the Royals are playing the Yankees in the American League Division Series, which starts Saturday.

“You can look at the stats. You can look at all the stuff he does on the field [to help] the team to win,” teammate Bobby Witt Jr. said. “And then he's going out there each and every day and he's playing. He's helping the team defensively, offensively each and every night. He just does it the right way, too, and he's been doing it for so long, and he's just so consistent with it. I just think it's a given [he is a Hall of Famer].”

According to Witt, success or failure on the diamond hasn’t changed Perez. If he goes 4-for-4 or 0-for-4, he treats everybody the same and fits in with the crowd. Perez will tell anybody who will listen that Witt is the best he ever played with.

“He's the same Salvador Perez each and every day, and it's so special he does that day in and day [out],” Witt said. “He was the same guy through a 106-loss season [in 2023] and he's the same guy making it to the playoffs [this] season -- just seeing that consistency he has each and every day and showing up to the field, first one to the field, last one to leave.”

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Perez is in the third postseason of his career. The last time he played in the postseason was in 2015, when he won the World Series MVP and helped Royals win their second-ever championship. He is the only player remaining from that title team. Perez learned a lot from that postseason experience and gives his current teammates the same advice he received back then from players like Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain.

“It's something that I tell these guys -- have fun,” Perez said “Everything is going to happen so quick, so fast. Just have fun, enjoy [it] and don't try to do too much. Yeah, [it’s a bigger] crowd in the playoffs. If you think of all the different things, you [may feel] a little pressure, but after the first pitch, it's the same game. We're used to playing with big crowds, and that's what I tell these guys. Just have fun and don't try to do too much.”

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Perez most likely will be behind the plate during the first game against New York. Right-hander Michael Wacha will be on the bump, and he called his relationship with Perez “incredible.” Wacha has a 3.50 ERA in 16 games when Perez is behind the plate this season.

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“He's got a great mind behind the plate. He's a big target to throw to,” Wacha said about Perez. “He controls the running game behind the plate. He's got an absolute cannon back there. We're lucky here; we've got two really good catchers here with Sal and with Freddy [Fermin].

“But speaking about Sal, it's been a lot of fun to work with him, bouncing different ideas off of him, and he's got a lot of experience, as well. So he's seen a lot of these hitters, seen a lot of baseball games and has a really good feel for the game. Getting to work with him this year has really helped me a lot, as well, just taking my game to another level, I feel like.”

Perez continues to take his game behind the plate and in the batter’s box to another level and one can understand why he feels he is a future Hall of Famer.

“It's a lot of sacrifice,” he said. “... When you want to be the best, you have to do it. Try to eat better. Last year as soon as the season was over, I started working out right away. I'm not 25 anymore, so it takes me a little longer to get ready. But yeah, I think it just depends who you want to be. You sacrifice yourself to try to be the best.”