Perez hasn’t immediately grow to be a selective hitter a decade and a half into his MLB profession. Amongst batters with 100+ PAs, solely the lately designated Harold Ramírez has chased pitches outdoors the strike zone extra ceaselessly. Perez is eighth in general swing price. He’s as aggressive as ever. But he’s been extra locked on this season than he has for the final couple of years. Perez has made contact on 75.3% of his swings, a virtually four-point soar relative to final 12 months and his highest price since 2020. It’s not a coincidence that he’s hanging out much less usually than he has in almost 10 years.
It’s a robust rebound for a participant who seemed to be on the downswing. Perez had arguably the worst season of his profession in 2023. Whereas he performed in 140 video games and hit 23 homers, his .422 slugging share was his second lowest. He hit .255 whereas reaching base at a .292 clip that was each under his profession norms. FanGraphs graded Perez as a sub-replacement participant in 2023; Baseball-Reference had him marginally higher than alternative stage however with a personal-low 0.5 wins.
That’s a mirrored image not solely in his personal work on the plate however a longstanding decline in his defensive metrics. Pitch framing metrics have by no means been eager on Perez’s receiving abilities. He’d sometimes performed a wonderful job at controlling the working sport, however that evaporated final season. Perez threw out solely 9 of 63 tried base-stealers, a 14.3% price that was nicely south of the 20% league mark.
There are essential elements of catcher protection (game-calling, managing a pitching employees) that may’t be captured by public metrics. Perez has at all times been extremely regarded for these qualities. That mentioned, his 2023 efficiency within the quantifiable elements of catching was not spectacular. It regarded in step with an general declining profession trajectory.
Perez has rebounded on that aspect of the ball as nicely. Statcast has rated him as a mean pitch framer in 321 innings. He’s 6-19 in reducing down stolen base makes an attempt. Perez was behind the plate for 39 wild pitches over 738 1/3 frames final season; that’s all the way down to seven wild pitches in additional than 40% of the innings this 12 months. It’s robust to completely separate that from the crew’s much-improved pitching employees — the Royals introduced in Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo and are getting a full season from Cole Ragans — however Perez’s defensive manufacturing has improved.
The Royals have barely lowered Perez’s duties. They’re mixing him in at first base somewhat extra usually than they did final season, a luxurious afforded by having a high quality No. 2 catcher in Freddy Fermin. Maybe that’s additionally taking part in an element in Perez’s resurgent manufacturing.
In any case, the previous World Sequence MVP’s enormous first couple of months ought to ship him to the All-Star Recreation for the ninth time in his profession. It’s a key cause the Royals are inside 4 video games of the Guardians for the AL Central lead and sit firmly within the second Wild Card place.
Perez’s return to kind can also be a fine addition for a entrance workplace that made what was then a franchise-record funding three seasons in the past. Kansas Metropolis signed him to a four-year, $82M extension in Spring Coaching 2021 that preemptively lined the 2022-26 campaigns. Perez made $18M in ’22, $20M for the next two seasons, and is ready for a $22M wage subsequent 12 months. There’s additionally a $2M buyout on a $13.5M crew choice for 2026. That contract appeared nicely underwater as lately as a couple of months in the past, but it surely’s an inexpensive sum for this stage of manufacturing.
The Royals don’t have to concern themselves with Perez’s long-term future, although it’s onerous to examine him taking part in wherever else at this level of his profession. The quick focus is on attending to the postseason for the primary time since their 2015 championship. Perez is the one remaining participant from that crew and, even in his mid-30s, is taking part in a key position in making an attempt to get Kansas Metropolis again to the playoffs almost a decade later.
