Kansas City Royals Salvador Perez’ Greatness Taken for Granted?

It is said that when one is around greatness long enough, they eventually become immune to it. They fail to recognize the genius or the incredible skill that person possesses, and they desire more and more. Eventually, expectations become virtually unreasonable, to the point where if that greatness is not on display every night, it is a major disappointment. Those greats are not afforded the same luxury of having a bad night as any mortal player would; indeed, we demand superhuman feats of greatness at each passing moment.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Rumors: Is a monster move in the cards?
• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: 3 Tampa Bay pitchers
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The $25 million man
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Expectations met
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update

Perhaps that is where we are with the Kansas City Royals Salvador Perez. The Royals have themselves a two time All-Star, a two time Gold Glove winner and a legitimate offensive threat behind the plate. The howitzer attached to his right shoulder makes venturing to steal bases a foolhardy endeavor. His ability to hit for power and a reasonable average at a premier defensive position is matched by few in the game. In fact, one could even argue that, although Perez is only 25 years old, he is currently the best catcher in baseball.

Yet, in watching Perez, we are left wanting more. We see how he, at times, struggles to get his 6’3″ frame down to block a ball in the dirt, or how sometimes a ball gets past him that should have been a relatively easy catch. We notice his tendency to chase sliders low and away, a problem that led to the final out of the 2014 World Series, when he popped up that very pitch. We notice his extremely aggressive approach at the plate, leading to only two walks in his 122 plate appearances heading into last night’s game.

While we marvel as his cannon of an arm, or about how he can easily pluck a 55 foot curveball from the dirt, it seems as though we focus more on Salvador Perez’ deficiencies when watching him live. Yes, we marvel at the type of player that Perez is, but it seems that it is not enough. We expect the kansas City Royals backstop to be Superman in catcher’s gear, able to fire bullets without issue, send baseballs over giant buildings and harass Lorenzo Cain all in a single bound.

Maybe it is because we are all used to seeing Salvador Perez every day behind the plate, in an almost literal sense. The seemingly indestructible Perez, the leader of the Kansas City Royals, has developed into a truly great player. While we recognize that, we also take it for granted.

Young catchers like Salvador Perez, ones that contribute defensively and offensively, are extremely valuable commodities. The Kansas City Royals are fortunate to have one of the best in the game behind the plate every night.

Next: Mike Moustakas Has Turned Himself into George Brett