Royals’ Salvador Perez voted by his peers as finalist for AL comeback player award
Major League Baseball’s players have given Kansas City Royals star catcher Salvador Perez a collective tip of the cap for his performance in his first season back on the field following Tommy John surgery.
Player voting for the 2020 Players Choice Awards placed Perez among the three finalists for American League Comeback Player of the Year. He’s joined by Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco and Indians third baseman José Ramírez.
The MLB Players Association announced the finalists on Wednesday.
A six-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time Silver Slugger, Perez missed the 2019 season after he underwent surgery in March.
Despite a COVID-19 infection that wiped out the majority of his spring training 2.0/summer camp in 2020, Perez remained a driving force for the Royals offense. He batted .333 with a .353 OBP and a .633 slugging percentage. He hit a team-high 11 home runs, 12 doubles and 32 RBIs in 37 games.
This season, Perez missed 20 games because of blurred vision, which kept him from having enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title or the Silver Slugger honor.
Hall of Famers Ted Williams (13) and Frank Thomas (12) are the only players to hit more than 11 homers having played 37 games or fewer in a season.
Players Choice Awards voting took place in mid-September, and winners will be announced October 22.
The Royals finished the pandemic-shortened 60-game season with a record of 26-34 in the first year under manager Mike Matheny.
The Royals currently have minor-league fall camps underway in both Kansas City and Arizona for players not on the 40-man roster.
