How Dayton Moore helped the 2024 KC Royals make the MLB Playoffs

Salvador Pérez made Dayton Moore look pretty good

To say Moore's gamble on Pérez paid off understates the obvious. Since signing his big contract, Pérez has made three All-Star teams and hit .264 with 121 homers — including the club record-tying 48 he slammed during his remarkable 2021campaign — and 381 RBI. And he's at .261 with 73 homers and 260 RBI over the first three years of the new deal's life.

And this season? Pérez homered 27 times, drove in 104 runs, hit .271, and missed only three of his club's games. Only once in his 13-year career has he collected more home runs or more RBI, only twice has he had a better full-season average, and only once has he played in more games.

Safe to say, then, is that these amazing 2024 Royals wouldn't be where they are without Perez. Say what you will about Moore, but his foresight in securing Pérez's services for several years has certainly paid the dividends he sought.

How this surprising and exciting 2024 season will ultimately end for the Kansas City Royals remains to be seen. But it's a sure bet that Salvador Pérez will have a lot to do with any further success they achieve.

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