In the fifth inning of the Kansas City Royals doubleheader-opening contest against the Cleveland Indians, catcher Salvador Perez clobbered his 46th home run of the season. This broke Hall of Famer Johnny Bench's record for the most jacks in a single season by a primary catcher (at least 75% of games played behind the plate).
As a member of the Cincinnati Reds in 1970, Bench hit 45 home runs for the team. He'd go on to post another 40-home run season a couple of years later but was never quite able to match his historic mark. It stood for over 50 years until Perez was able to break it on Monday.
Perez has put together a career year with the Royals this season, drawing more walks than ever and striking fear into opposing pitchers. The team's backstop was a Home Run Derby participant and has accomplished feat after feat all year long. His 46th home run puts him within striking distance of 200 career bombs. He's just two away from tying Jorge Soler's franchise record for the most in a season as a member of the Royals organization.
As of late, there has been more and more talk about the possibility of Perez potentially joining the Hall of Fame one day. While that's still far down the road, it's worth noting that the 31-year-old is shaping up as one of the best players the Royals have ever had. If he can continue this pace — or anything close to it — in the future, the sky is the limit.
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