NEW YORK — Salvador Perez, the catcher for the Kansas City Royals, has been honored with Major League Baseball’s prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, a recognition of his exemplary character and commitment to community service and philanthropy.
The award is set to be presented to Perez, a nine-time All-Star and 2015 World Series MVP, prior to Game 3 of the World Series scheduled for Monday night.
For the past decade, Perez and his family have made a significant impact in his native Valencia, Venezuela, by distributing bags filled with food and essential kitchen items to 2,000 households each winter, thereby directly assisting over 10,000 families. Additionally, he has established a youth baseball league in the area that offers equipment and financial support to young players and their families.
At 34 years old, Perez has also funded numerous surgeries for kids suffering from cleft lips, donated over 1,000 toys to children’s hospitals, and provided support to local police officers. His philanthropic efforts extend to Colombia, where he collaborates with the Carlos Fortuna Foundation to aid adults in becoming better parents, previously traversing the border on foot to reach his destination during the stringent COVID-19 travel restrictions.
In the United States, Perez has allied with organizations dedicated to combating Lou Gehrig’s disease, otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and has also partnered with Braden’s Hope for Childhood Cancer, based in Kansas. He made a significant contribution of $1 million to the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, which is one of MLB’s 11 youth academies, thereby matching the academy’s largest donation ever.
The award’s namesake, Roberto Clemente, was an illustrious outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates and tragically lost his life in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, while delivering humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
This season, Perez has demonstrated an impressive performance on the field, registering a batting average of .271 along with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs across 158 games. His contributions have aided the Royals in securing a playoff berth for the first time since their sole World Series championship in 2015. A five-time Gold Glove recipient, Perez has played all 1,552 games of his career with the Royals since debuting in the major leagues in 2011, with a .267 career batting average.