Former Royals catcher Freddy Fermin receives warm welcome in return to The K
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Freddy Fermin received a loud ovation when he returned to Kauffman Stadium with the.
- Fermin debuted with the Royals in 2022 and spent four seasons there through 2025.
- Fermin started Saturday’s game for the Padres and finished with a 1-for-3 performance.
Former Royals catcher Freddy Fermin returned to Kauffman Stadium this weekend as a player with the San Diego Padres.
On Saturday, he received a warm ovation from the Kansas City crowd.
Fermin was met with loud applause before stepping into the batter’s box for his first at-bat in the second inning. He took a moment to acknowledge the cheers, tipping his helmet to those in attendance.
It was a hero’s welcome. Fermin, who began his career as an international free agent a decade ago with the Royals, had returned to where it all began.
“Kansas City feels like home,” Fermin said Friday. “I remember a lot of thoughts about the past. I think it’s a good thing to be around KC people. It’s really cool.”
The 31-year-old catcher climbed the ranks and made his Major League Baseball debut with the Royals in 2022 — his first of four seasons here.
In Kansas City, Fermin was always known as a blue-collar worker. He studied under star Salvador Perez and got his next opportunity with the Padres. KC dealt Fermin at the 2025 MLB trade deadline for starting pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek.
The Royals still have a lot of affection for Fermin. Before Saturday’s game, he met with multiple former teammates and coaches. He also embraced Perez when the Royals captain stepped into the batter’s box.
“I was glad he soaked it in,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, first of all, I think that was really classy of our fans. We have great fans here. I think they appreciate the way Freddy went about it.
“He was behind a Hall of Famer, you know, for the whole time he was here. He had to earn every out he got to play, and he was great behind the plate.”
Perez was excited to see Fermin. They shared a pre-game conversation and it was a special moment when they finally met on the field.
One that Perez won’t soon forget.
“The person he is, that’s the way you want to leave a clubhouse,” Perez said. “Everybody misses you and everybody loves you. When you come back, people are talking with you. That’s pretty cool for him.”
Fermin started Saturday’s game and went 1 for 3. The Royals beat the Padres 6-1 to win the three-game series outright.
This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 7:32 PM.
