It’s hard to believe Salvador Perez was still turning in a Royals season in 2026, and even harder to believe how quickly the year went sideways once the games started counting.
Perez had already made a strong case that he could still help Kansas City after people were ready to write him off following 2023, when he was a below-average hitter with negative fWAR. He answered with a strong 2024 and then a solid 2025, enough to make it easy to picture him continuing as a useful piece on a playoff team. Instead, 2026 turned into the year age finally won out.
The biggest moment of Perez’s year came before the MLB season even began. As captain of Team Venezuela, he helped lead his country to a World Baseball Classic title in a dramatic 3-2 win over the United States. The source of the joy was obvious even for someone pulling for the USA in that game: Perez and Maikel Garcia got to celebrate with their countrymen, and the tournament once again showed why it matters so much.
Back in Kansas City, though, the season was a grind. Perez opened slowly at the plate again, but this time the underlying numbers matched the results.
By the All-Star break, he was sitting on a .595 OPS, which was 41% below league average. Even with the bat dragging, he stayed in the lineup almost every day.
A hip issue kept him from catching for a while, but he kept taking the field despite the ugly production.
The second half brought some recovery. Perez’s contact improved, and that helped lift both his average and his power.
Over that stretch, he posted a 105 wRC+. Still, the full-season line told the story of a rough year: a 77 wRC+ and -1.1 fWAR, both the worst marks of his career.
His defensive usage also shifted dramatically. Perez caught in just 44 games, while spending 80 games at DH and 25 at first base.
When he was behind the plate, he showed a sharp feel for the new ABS system, challenging 65 times and winning 46 of those calls. That success rate ranked sixth among catchers making challenges.
It wasn’t enough to change the bigger picture, and his framing remained poor, but it was a reminder that his feel for the strike zone still has value.
The larger question now is how the Royals handle him going forward. Perez is still playing a lot, and that would have mattered even more if Kansas City were closer to contention this season.
The Royals are expected to compete next year, and one way to show that seriousness would be to reduce Perez’s workload. The idea here is simple: a part-time role, more starts against lefties, and the occasional game behind the plate.
That’s not likely to be an easy sell. Perez has always wanted to play every day, and nothing in his career suggests he’ll be eager to step into a smaller role. But that decision belongs to Matt Quatraro and his staff, who will have to manage the personalities while trying to put the best team on the field.
2027 is likely to be Perez’s final season in Kansas City, and the hope is for a fitting ending. This year was a reminder that time eventually catches everyone, even a franchise icon like Salvy.
In Other News...
Royals Outfield Search Just Drew One Clear Line This Offseason
The Royals are heading into the 2027 offseason with one corner of the outfield already spoken for, but left field and center field remain open, and that makes the market especially tricky. It is not a deep free-agent class, either, which leaves Kansas City weighing limited options while bigger names like Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki figure to draw plenty of attention elsewhere.
Jim Bowden floated one possible fit in Daulton Varsho, projecting him as a buy-low target on a one-year, $8 million deal. Bowden also pushed back on the idea of Trent Grisham, pointing to the inconsistency in his offensive and defensive production and suggesting he would cost more than he is worth, which only underscores how narrow the Royals path may be as they try to patch together the rest of their outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Infields Gold Glove Push Ended In A Brutal Near-Miss
The Royals had a real shot to turn Gold Glove night into a showcase for their infield, with four players reaching finalist status for the 2026 American League Rawlings awards. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Nick Loftin all put themselves in position to bring home hardware, a reflection of how much Kansas Citys defense has mattered as the club has tried to build around a young core.
Instead, the evening ended with a clean sweep of near-misses. Witt, a two-time reigning Gold Glove winner, was trying to make it three straight before falling to Taylor Walls, while Pasquantino, Massey and Loftin each came up short at their spots as well. For a group that had reason to believe it could pile up recognition, the final result left the Royals with the kind of empty feeling that comes from being close enough to taste it. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Face One Big Winter Decision As Prospect Keeps Rising
The Royals are already staring at a busy winter, with roster fit and bullpen depth both looming as priorities as they try to keep building around a young core. Joel Penfields offseason rundown touched on a simulated trade for Jake McCarthy and a contract for Randy Arozarena, two moves that would speak to a club looking for more athleticism and more certainty in the lineup while also trying to shore up the relief corps with higher-strikeout arms.
Angeibel Gomez has become part of that broader conversation because of the way he has kept climbing in the Arizona Fall League, giving the organization another name to watch as it weighs how aggressively to add from outside and how much to trust what is already in the system. The Royals do not need every answer right now, but the way Gomez is trending only adds another layer to a winter that already figures to test how patient or bold the front office wants to be. [Read more 🡒]