KANSAS CITY, MO. – The Kansas City Royals announced Monday that catcher Salvador Perez and right-handed pitcher Brad Keller have been named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for the month of July. The awards are determined by a local media vote.
Perez, 31, led the Royals in hits (25), home runs (7) and RBI (18) in 24 games last month, including five home runs in a seven-game span from July 24-30, and a home run in three straight games last Wednesday through Friday. Four of his seven homers tied the game or gave the Royals a lead, including a game-tying shot in the eighth inning on Thursday off Liam Hendriks, which forced extra innings in an eventual Royals win over the division-leading White Sox. Salvy was the starting catcher in the All-Star Game last month—his seventh All-Star appearance—and became the fourth Royal to participate in the Home Run Derby, hitting 28 homers in the first round, the most ever by a catcher in the event. This is Perez’s fourth Royals Player of the Month Award and second this season, after winning the honor in April.
Keller went 1-1 last month despite a 2.28 ERA (7 ER in 27.2 IP) and .194 opponents’ average (19-for-98), which ranked fifth and sixth, respectively in the American League. He pitched into the seventh inning in all four of his outings—all quality starts—including July 9 in Cleveland, where he did not factor into the decision despite allowing one run on four hits in 7.2 innings with a season-high nine strikeouts. His lone win came on July 21 in Milwaukee, where he allowed three runs in 6.2 innings. In his most recent start last Tuesday vs. the White Sox, Keller celebrated his 26th birthday by allowing just one run on four hits in 7.0 innings and exited with a 3-1 lead, which was erased by Chicago’s four-run eighth inning. This is Keller’s sixth Royals Pitcher of the Month Award, matching Wade Davis and Danny Duffy for the fourth most since the honor was first given in 1995, trailing only Zack Greinke (8), Joakim Soria (8) and Kevin Appier (7).