Bobby Witt Jr. shares personal stories about Royals captain Salvador Perez to Mookie Betts

A year after Bobby Witt Jr. made his MLB debut for the Royals in 2022, Salvador Perez was named team captain. Known for his calm temperament and charitable endeavors, Perez is beloved by the MLB community. Notably, the MLB bestowed him the Roberto Clemente Award in October 2024.

Witt Jr. recently spoke highly about Perez during Wednesday's episode of the "On Base with Mookie Betts" podcast. Betts wanted to know how a veteran like Perez is to the youngsters in the clubouse.

"It's been amazing," Witt Jr. said (39:25 onwards). "It's just he's just one of those guys where he walks in and it's like, all right, there's 'wow, there's Salvy.' He could go 0 for four with four strikeouts, four home runs. He's going to be the same guy after the game. Once he kind of gets his treatment, whatever it is, he's going to walk out, be laughing, smiling. Salvy next day, same guy."

Witt Jr. said that Perez has the same daily routine and drew comparisons from his experience playing with Team U.S.A. stars at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Witt Jr. was only 22 then, and the US team featured veteran stars like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, and many more.

"There's a reason why they're so good and just because of their preparation, their work," Bobby Witt Jr. said. "He's first, most of the time he's first guy there, last guy to leave."

The Royals' phenom pointed out that the preparation keeps Perez in peak physical condition despite his age of 35. Funnily enough, Betts was surprised, as he thought Perez was much older.

"I know every time I see Salvy, it's just like you said, it's just big, infectious smile," Betts said [From 40:22]. "I mean, he's obviously been a Royal for his whole career, so he just bleeds, you know, royal blue, you know, and, um, I can only imagine really playing with him. It's got to be fun. He's got to keep it, you know, loose and having fun in the clubhouse."

Salvador Perez debuted for the Royals in 2011 and has made nine All-Star appearances. He was integral to the Royals, which won the World Series in 2015. Perez rightfully earned the World Series MVP honors in 2015.

Bobby Witt Jr. shares advice from Salvador Perez

After the Royals won the World Series in 2015, their next postseason appearance was last year. They reached the American League Division Series, but lost to the eventual runners-up, the New York Yankees.

Since Perez was part of the 2015 roster, Mookie Betts asked Bobby Witt Jr. what advice the Royals captain is giving his player to replicate the success.

"It's pretty much like I was saying, just show up to the field with 'we're going to win each and every day'. Just have that mindset. And he said that that was the mindset of that 14 and 15 team. It's like they showed up to the field, like in the years past they weren't great, and then they, but they showed up and they're like, 'All right, we're going to go beat them today. We're going to go beat up on them tonight,'" Bobby Witt Jr. said [From 41:05].

Bobby Witt Jr. pointed out that the 2015 Royals fought tooth and nail irrespective of their opponents' stature. He also shared that the World Series-winning squad often comes together for reunions and imparts wisdom and stories from 2015 to the current crop.

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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