DETROIT — Salvador Perez hit his 318th career home run Saturday, breaking George Brett’s Kansas City Royals franchise record with a solo shot in a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
With the Royals trailing 2-1, Perez led off the seventh inning with his 401-foot homer off Kyle Finnegan over the Tigers’ bullpen in left. It was his 31st career homer against Detroit, trailing only the 36 he has hit against the Minnesota Twins.
Perez received an ovation from the Comerica Park crowd after the record was announced.
Brett, seen on a video message posted on the club’s social media channels after the home run, held the franchise record for 40 years, having passed Amos Otis with his 194th home run April 9, 1986.
From one ðŸ to another. https://t.co/yjl1I6md9B pic.twitter.com/FeMYddZZWc
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 25, 2026
“It’s unbelievable,” Perez said in his postgame, on-field interview on Royals TV. “It’s a lot of emotion right now.
“I didn’t know I was going to make it this far in my career. And I thank my teammates for their support.”
Perez’s 318 homers for the Royals ranks third among active players who have played for only one team. Mike Trout has 422 homers for the Los Angeles Angels, and Aaron Judge has 385 for the New York Yankees.
“They are my family, my brothers,” Perez said of his teammates who stood behind him during the interview. “Thank you for your support. Thank you for competing with me every day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
