Salvador Perez Breaks George Brett's Kauffman Stadium Home Run Record in Royals Victory

Salvador Perez delivered a milestone moment for the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, launching his 137th home run at Kauffman Stadium to surpass George Brett's longstanding franchise record. The solo blast in the sixth inning came during a 14-6 series-opening victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The achievement marks another significant step in what could become a Hall of Fame career for the Royals captain.

Perez's record-breaking homer traveled an estimated 385 feet to the left-field corner, struck off Cardinals rookie reliever Max Rajcic during his MLB debut. The home run energized Kauffman Stadium, where Perez has spent all 14 seasons of his career with Kansas City. When he stepped to the plate again in his next at-bat, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Perez acknowledged the moment by tipping his helmet and subsequently delivered a single into right field for his third hit of the evening.

The 36-year-old catcher remains 317 homers shy of matching Brett's all-time Royals franchise record. Despite a challenging offensive season—entering Thursday's game with a .207 batting average and a .592 on-base-plus-slugging percentage—Perez's milestone demonstrates his enduring value to the organization. His last home run prior to Thursday had come 16 games earlier against the Yankees on May 25. Manager Matt Quatraro acknowledged Perez's continued legacy, noting that "everything he does is another milestone" for a player regarded as among the greatest in franchise history.

The moment carried particular significance for rookie catcher Carter Jensen, a Kansas City native who grew up watching Perez perform at Kauffman Stadium. Jensen described the experience of being Perez's teammate as surreal, adding that witnessing the standing ovation firsthand gave him chills. The Royals' celebration of their captain came amid concerns over injury to Bobby Witt Jr., who exited the game with right knee soreness.