What a season it has been for Salvador Perez.

Not only did he finish first in Major League Baseball with 121 RBI’s, but he also tied Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the home run lead with 48, which also tied Jorge Soler‘s franchise record of home runs in a season (2019).

“People just texted me, you should have gotten one more, you should be hitting second today, first, to get as many as you can,” Perez said. “But I got 15 at-bats the last three games. And I got pitches to hit. I got four or five pitches in the middle. And things happen for a reason. I’m happy with the way I finished my season.”

Last month, Perez hit a two-run shot against the Cleveland Indians to break another MLB record. His 46th homer of the season helped him break Johnny Bench’s 1970 record for most home runs by a catcher in a season.

“I think I did pretty good this year,” Perez said. “I love to play. I like to be there every day. … I love that. Honestly, I’m kind of sad because I just like to play. So tomorrow it’s going to be like, ‘OK. Now what?’ … I know some people are happy to go back home and all that. But I’m not that way. I just love to play. Hopefully we can be in October next year and see what happens.”

The Royals improved their winning percentage for the third consecutive season: they went 26-34 (.433) in 2020, 59-103 (.364) in ’19 and 58-104 (.358) in ’18. Despite many flashes of great play, they finished 74-88 and fourth place in the American League Central. However, as they continue to improve each year, the future looks brighter and brighter.

(Photo Credit: Royals Review)