Salvador Pérez wrote a new chapter in the history of the Kansas City Royals by becoming the franchise's leading home run hitter. The Venezuelan catcher hit the 318th home run of his career this Saturday during the game against the Detroit Tigers, leaving behind the mark that George Brett had kept for four decades.

The hit not only had symbolic value. He also tied the score in the seventh inning of a game that the Royals ended up winning 3-2, capping a historic day for one of the organization's most iconic players.

Pérez reached the record just three days after matching Brett's 317 home runs. This time he found a slider from reliever Kyle Finnegan and sent the ball a projected 401 feet, past the Detroit bullpen in left field at Comerica Park.

The connection represented his 31st home run against the Tigers, a number only lower than the 36 he has hit against the Minnesota Twins throughout his career in the Major Leagues.

A record built during 15 seasons with Kansas City

The crowd at Comerica Park recognized the moment with a standing ovation after the new franchise record was announced. Pérez walked the bases slowly before reaching the dugout, where he was greeted by all his teammates with hugs, handshakes and congratulations.

After the celebration, the Venezuelan sat in front of the camera that followed the celebration, smiled, winked and looked up at the sky as a sign of gratitude.

George Brett had set the organization's previous record on April 9, 1986, when he hit his 194th home run to surpass Amos Otis. Since then, no other player had managed to displace him from first place in history until Pérez's performance.

With his 318 home runs, the Venezuelan also occupies a prominent place among active players who have spent their entire career with the same team. Only Mike Trout, with 422 home runs for the Los Angeles Angels, and Aaron Judge, with 385 for the New York Yankees, exceed that number among those who remain with the franchise where they debuted.

In addition, Pérez became the third active player to hold the all-time home run record for his current organization, along with Trout and Manny Machado, who has 216 with the San Diego Padres.

The journey towards a historical brand

Comerica Park also holds a special meaning in the Venezuelan catcher's career. In that stadium he hit the first home run of his career on August 29, 2011 against Max Scherzer.

His offensive growth was progressive. It took parts of six seasons to reach 100 home runs, a figure he reached on June 10, 2017. Subsequently, offensive power began to consolidate steadily.

On September 29, 2021, he hit the 200th home run of his career, which was also the 48th of that campaign and equaled the Royals' record for home runs in a single season. From then on, the possibility of surpassing George Brett's record began to gain strength.

Another milestone came on September 13, 2025, when he simultaneously reached 300 home runs and 1,000 RBIs. He finished that season with 303 home runs, leaving him just 15 shy of breaking the franchise record.

The chase continued throughout 2026. Although the Venezuelan had a slow start and an offensive year below his standards, he finally reached the mark that places him alone as the top home run hitter in Kansas City history.

His production also places him among the best receivers of all time. With at least half of his games played behind the plate, Pérez ranks seventh all-time in home runs among Major League catchers, behind only Mike Piazza (427), Johnny Bench (389), Carlton Fisk (376), Yogi Berra (358), Lance Parrish (324) and Gary Carter (324).