Salvador Perez powered the Royals to a 14-6 season-opening win over the Cardinals, delivering a solo home run in the sixth inning that became his 137th at Kauffman Stadium—breaking the tie with George Brett. The milestone came with a standing ovation, and Kans
KANSAS CITY — The seventh row didn’t stay quiet for long.
In the sixth inning of the Royals’ 14-6 series-opening win over the Cardinals, Salvador Perez turned a sweeper into a solo home run that cleared for his 137th blast at The K. The number broke a tie with George Brett for the most home runs in the 54-year history of Kauffman Stadium.
The ball carried a long way—Statcast projected it at 385 feet to the left-field corner—off Cardinals rookie reliever Max Rajcic. who was making his MLB debut. And when Perez stepped back in, the crowd treated it like more than one swing. During his next at-bat, Kauffman Stadium gave him a standing ovation. Perez recognized it. tipped his helmet to the fans. and ripped a single into right field for his third hit of the night.
“It was super exciting,” Perez said. “I feel like Kauffman is my second home. I appreciate the fans. Thank you for your support my whole career. I’m not done yet. I got a lot more.”
For this Royals organization. “a lot more” is the hope because Perez has meant everything here for 14 seasons—while this year has tested him. He’s 36 years old, and the milestone came against a backdrop of an uneven offensive stretch. Coming into the game. he was hitting .207 with a .592 OPS. and it had been 16 games since his last homer on May 25 against the Yankees.
Still, the chase is part of the story now. Perez is hunting history in 2026 as he continues building what could become a Hall of Fame résumé when he ultimately decides to hang up his cleats.
Manager Matt Quatraro didn’t try to overcomplicate it. “What else can you say about the guy?” he said. “Everything he does is another milestone. … The guy’s a legend.”
In the Royals dugout, the math was known. Most of them understood Perez needed just one more for the record. When the ball dropped over the fence, the reaction wasn’t subtle. Teammates erupted. There’s always something tense about watching a historic moment land at full speed. but for Kansas City it came with relief—the kind that usually follows a big swing and a bigger score.
“All those fountain shots. all the huge homers he’s hit here. ” said rookie catcher Carter Jensen. a Kansas City native. “I got chills watching the ovation. To have a role model like him is special. Him being my favorite player growing up is that little extra cherry on top. because I watched him do it as a kid. Now I’m watching him do it as a teammate of his. It’s a lot of fun.”.
Brett’s name still hangs over the record book, even now. Brett has held the Kauffman Stadium record for homers outright since passing Amos Otis on Aug. 24, 1985. Now Perez holds that mark, and the Royals are watching the next steps closely. Thursday’s blast was Perez’s 313th career home run. placing him four home runs away from tying Brett for the all-time franchise home run record (317) and five away from surpassing the greatest Royal of all time.
Perez doesn’t chase the headlines at the plate. He said he tries to block out the noise, even if he sees it.
“I don’t like to think about that,” Perez said. “But I see it, a lot on social media, a lot of people tell me about it. I just go to the plate trying to do my best and trying to help my team to win. … Early this season, I’ve been struggling a little bit. The numbers are right there. I just make an adjustment every day. I like to compete. I like to prepare myself. I’m going to give everything I have to be better at the home plate right now, especially like tonight.”.
The homer didn’t happen in isolation. It fit into a night when the Royals’ offense kept coming in waves.
Perez helped set the tone earlier, too—his double to lead off what became a six-run second inning. That hit knocked Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore from the game. The Royals kept pressure on the Cardinals from the first inning onward. and it showed in the numbers: all nine starters reached base Thursday. eight knocked at least one hit. and three players—Perez. Witt and Jac Caglianone—each hit homers.
All told, the Royals crushed eight doubles as a team, and both their 14 runs and 17 hits were season highs.
On the mound, Noah Cameron took the lead from the offense and kept it moving. He threw 108 pitches over five innings and allowed five runs, with four earned. The Cardinals jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the first. but Bobby Witt Jr.’s homer cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the frame. Cameron then held St. Louis scoreless for the next two innings, giving Kansas City room to pile on.
“When the guys are hitting like that, it’s a lot of fun in the dugout watching them,” Cameron said.
The win came with one note of concern: there was lingering concern surrounding Bobby Witt Jr.’s exit with right knee soreness. But on a night built around a captain’s milestone and a home crowd’s roar, the Royals leaned into the moment.
For Perez, the record wasn’t just another number on a stat sheet. It was another step in a career that still doesn’t feel finished. And as the crowd rose when he got another chance at the plate, it looked a lot like Kansas City was ready to keep counting after the break with Brett.
Salvador Perez Royals Cardinals Kauffman Stadium George Brett home run record Matt Quatraro Noah Cameron Bobby Witt Jr. Jac Caglianone Max Rajcic Statcast
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