Salvador Perez sets Kansas City Royals franchise home run record

Kansas City designated hitter Salvador Perez tied the franchise’s all‑time home‑run mark with his 317th homer in the seventh inning of a 5‑4 win over the San Francisco Giants on 23 July 2026, matching Hall of Famer George Brett. Two days later, Perez broke the record with his 318th homer, a 401‑foot shot in the seventh inning of a 3‑2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, giving the Royals the lead.

After the historic ball landed in Kauffmann Stadium’s water‑fountain display, a fan leapt into the fountain to retrieve it and was promptly arrested. The stadium policy states that anyone entering the fountain will be immediately taken into custody. Perez pleaded with police, asking that the fan be released, saying he understood the fan’s motivation and “please, police, just take him home.” The fan was later cited for trespassing and released.

Perez’s milestone added to his 15‑year career with Kansas City, during which he has earned five Gold‑Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards and a 2015 World Series MVP.

The record‑tying and record‑breaking home runs, along with the fan‑arrest incident, have drawn extensive coverage across baseball media.