Royals backstop Salvador Perez is having a phenomenal season, and it’s being rewarded with not only another All-Star nod for the franchise face, but also an accepted invite to the 2021 Home Run Derby. And with that, he is on the verge of making history.

If Perez wins the Home Run Derby, he will become the first catcher in MLB history to win the annual event.

“Super excited,” Perez, 31, said after he announced he’d be in the Home Run Derby on July 12th. “It’s my first time and something I have wanted to do before my career is over. I got an opportunity, and I’m so excited. So happy, and I thank God for everything that’s happened to me.”

Perez is just the fourth Royals player in franchise history to participate in the Derby, following in the footsteps of Bo Jackson (1989), Danny Tartabull (’91) and Mike Moustakas (2017).

After watching the event in the past, the veteran catcher had dreamed of participating.

“They hit some bombs,” Perez later added. “I told myself if I had an opportunity to be in a Home Run Derby, it’s something fun and something that I want to check off on my list. I’m happy to be there. I’m going to compete and try to do my best. It’s not just about to go, it’s about to win, too.”

(Photo Credit: KC Kingdom)