Salvador Johan Pérez Diaz is a professional baseball catcher from Venezuela.
He has been a seven-time MLB All-Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner, and the World Series Most Valuable Player Award winner after the Royals defeated the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series.
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Pérez now has 48 home runs as a primary catcher in a single season, surpassing Johnny Bench’s 45 in 1970.
Pérez was born in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, Carabobo. His father abandoned him when he was four years old, and Yilda Diaz raised him.
They moved to Valencia to live with Yilda’s mother, Carmen de Diaz, when he was eight years old. Yilda provided financial support for the family by selling handmade cakes, flan, and lasagna.
Yilda put her only child in a baseball school in Valencia, where he showed aptitude to throw, catch and hit balls as early as age six.
He pitched and played shortstop for teams in state and national tournaments. He expressed an interest in playing catcher at the age of eight and decided to pursue it professionally at the age of fourteen.
Is Salvador Perez Black?
Salvador Perez is a Venezuelan-American. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, at least one-tenth of Venezuelans (3 million) are of Sub-Saharan African origin.