There is no doubt that the recipient of Kansas City Royals, Salvador Pérez, is experiencing the best of his 10 seasons in MLB.
He had already given a warning in 2020, when it was the American League Comeback of the Year after missing the entire season of Big leagues in 2019 for surgery.
After the All-Star Game, the Venezuelan has been unstoppable. This Saturday he had the 12th multi-homer game in his career. In addition, he reached 40 home runs this season, a number that a catcher had not achieved since Javy López did it in 2003 and that puts him second in the AL leadership, after Shohei ohtani.
Plus, he long ago displaced a legend like Carlton Fisk and held the mark for the most homers in a season for receivers in the American League.
With an offensive line of .277 / .316 / .545 and 99 RBIs (a personal top), Pérez will surely earn his fourth Silver Bat. But it may not be enough to snatch the MVP from Ohtani.
The Japanese is not only the leader in home runs with 43 and third in triples (5), as well as sixth in RBIs with 93. He has also fanned 135 opponents and has a 2.97 ERA in 20 starts.
The dimension of what Ohtani has achieved this year as a two-way player, equaling and collapsing centennial records of Babe Ruth has practically assured him the Most Valuable award, and what the Venezuelan achieved will not be enough to threaten his conquest.