After coming to the United States in 2008, Perez made his full-season debut last year. He pitched well enough to earn a promotion to high Class A in July, but a sore shoulder limited him toward the end of the season. A lanky righthander, Perez has a fringe-average fastball that sits at 87-91 mph and touches 93. He mixes in two and four-seamers, though he still needs to improve his fastball command. His best pitch is his 78-80 mph curveball, a plus offering with sharp action that he commands well. He also shows good feel at times for his changeup, a potentially above-average pitch that he can use against both lefthanders and righthanders. Perez has a relatively loose delivery, though he needs to be more consistent with his mechanics and incorporate his lower half better. His body type has some similarities to Hector Rondon's at the same age, and he could add another 25-30 pounds and gain a few ticks on his fastball. Adding weight and strength is also important for him to improve his durability. Perez is expected to start the season back in Kinston, though he could end the year in Double-A.
Minor League Top Prospects
After spending one year each in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer and Gulf Coast leagues, Perez made his full-season debut in 2009. He needed just 15 starts at Lake County to earn a promotion to high Class A Kinston, where he continued to pitch well. Perez is tall and lanky and needs to add strength as he ages. Because he has room to put on at least 25 pounds, he could add velocity as he moves up the ladder. He won't need to, though, because his three-pitch mix gets outs. Perez's fastball sits at 88-91 mph and touches 93. His 78-80 mph curveball grades out as a plus pitch and has hard, sharp break. His changeup has shown flashes of being a plus pitch, though it still lacks consistency. He has a flowing, loose delivery. Once Perez does a better job of repeating his mechanics, he'll have better command of his pitches.
Best Tools List
Rated Best Curveball in the Cleveland Guardians in 2010
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