RADIO
Salvador Perez Continue to Show Off His Power
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez continues to display impressive power heading into his age-35 season. The veteran backstop slugged 30 home runs across 155 games last year; that home run total was higher than his total from each of the three previous seasons. Power is Perez's primary calling card at this point in his career, as he also posted a suboptimal 4.4% walk rate, 19.5% strikeout rate, and 95 wRC+ along with -8.2 fWAR at the plate and -8.7 fWAR in the field. He made 38 appearances as the Royals' designated hitter, 30 at first base, and 92 behind the dish. He played replacement-level defense at first, but he offered a worrisome -7.6 FRM at catcher. FanGraphs still projects Perez as the Royals' Opening Day catcher, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him spend more time at first base and designated hitter while a depth option -- presumably, rookie Carter Jensen -- straps on the gear. Regardless of where Perez plays defensively, we expect his power to carry over from last year, keeping him on the fantasy radar in most leagues. He currently ranks as the #9 catcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
