Wenceel Perez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #20 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Perez was the standout of the Tigers’ 2016 international amateur signing class. After an impressive start to his pro career, he struggled to adapt to the full-season minors at the plate and in the field. He’s improved his selectivity to become a tougher out and has regained a little bit of prospect luster.
  
  Scouting Report: Once an easy out for a pitcher with a plan, Perez has gotten much better at working counts and being a pest in the box. His hand-eye coordination is excellent and he has enough power to punish a pitcher who makes a mistake. Perez started to play center field this year, and that may prove to be the best position to take advantage of his athleticism. He has plus range at second base, but he struggles with throwing issues. He’ll sometimes miss his target wildly on routine plays when he has plenty of time, though he has fewer issues when he has to hurry to make the play. He’s a plus runner who could develop into an above-average center fielder with more reps.
  
  The Future: Perez has been a member of the Tigers organization longer than almost anyone on the MLB roster, but he is still just 24 and will head into 2024 with two minor league options remaining. He’s likely to be a multi-positional, switch-hitting backup bat with enough offensive pop and speed to find a role.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #19 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2016 international draft class for $550,000, the progression of Wenceel Perez has been a curious story to follow. After spending 2017 in the Dominican Summer League, Perez dazzled the following year with a jump across three affiliates, including slashing .309/.324/.441 with Class A West Michigan. Between 2019 and 2021, Perez hit a snag at the plate and in the field, producing some rough defense from a once seemingly fluid infielder. Perez hit a new stride in 2022, earning a promotion to Double-A Erie where he slashed .307/.374/.540.
  
  Scouting Report: One of the most confounding development stories within the Tigers' organization, Perez is once again proof that no prospect develops at the same pace. A confident, athletic infielder, Perez, at his strongest, is light of foot with polished hands and a mature first step. Although he spent the majority of his early years at shortstop, the Tigers have transitioned Perez to more work at second base, where he spent a good deal of his 2022 season. In addition to displaying more raw power in 2022, Perez produced more plate discipline by navigating from his previous tendency to chase deceptive pitching.
  
  The Future: With his successes at the Double-A level, in addition to added defensive versatility, Perez could stand a return to Erie to start the 2023 season. Perez was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 45. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #14 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Perez signed for $550,000 in July 2016 and made a strong first impression. He crushed the Dominican Summer League and advanced three levels all the way to low Class A West Michigan as an 18-year old, where he appeared in 16 games. He returned to the Midwest League in 2019 and made some adjustments, but still struggled overall.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Perez projects as an average defender up the middle with some feel to play shortstop. He has good footwork with plus foot speed and range. His arm is average and profiles at the position. Perez's bat is much more in question. He has bat speed from both sides of the plate but projects to have well below-average power. He can barrel up pitches thanks to quick hands and shows glimpses of impact but lacks consistency with his hitting approach, resulting in low averages and on-base percentages. He is still working to get the most from his speed and was successful on just 21 of 34 stolen base attempts in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Perez's ceiling is a second-division regular, but his likelier role may be a sturdy utility infielder.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #11 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: As an amateur, Perez drew interest for his blend of athleticism and polish at a premium position. He showed a bat that produced plenty of line drives, as well quick-twitch characteristics in the field. The Tigers signed him for $550,000, and watched as he tore up the Dominican Summer League, then zoomed through three levels in 2018 before stopping at low Class A West Michigan.
  
  Scouting Report: Perez uses quick wrists, solid bat control and a knack for the barrel to produce quality contact from both sides of the plate. Those traits could help his hit tool get to plus with further refinement. The Dominican teenager should be able to build around his plus hit tool with an improved approach as he gets more at-bats. He’s a plus runner and works with good hands, quick footwork and enough of a throwing arm to stick at shortstop, providing a tool set that should create a future at a position up the middle.
  
  The Future: The Tigers like his athleticism, and they think he will be fine at shortstop for now. While he doesn’t have the pop to profile at a corner-infield spot, Perez has the skills to be an average big leaguer up the middle. Perez will return to low Class A in 2019, with a possible cameo at high Class A toward the end of the season.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #24 prospect in 2018
  After signing for $550,000, Perez was the most promising prospect in the Tigers' 2016 international class, and he's exceeded those expectations so far. He has some of Jose King's burst and athleticism, but with a chance to be a strong hitter with more gap power. He's already made strength gains since signing with more to come, and he uses his legs now in his swing. He's a hit-first prospect with good hand-eye coordination, hands and strong wrists to spray the ball around the field as a switch-hitter with a plan at the plate. He walked more than he struck out in his Dominican Summer League debut. Defensively he has a very good chance to stick at shortstop with a quick first step, hands that work, advanced feel and an average arm. He played some second base as well in his pro debut, but that's for versatility more than anything else. Perez gets too aggressive at times right now and makes too many errors, but that's something he should refine as he gets more innings.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #4 prospect in 2018
  Detroit’s top international signing bonus ($550,000) in 2016 went to Perez, who performed immediately last year and ranked as one of the Top 20 prospects in the Dominican Summer League. For an encore, Perez tore through the GCL, earning two in-season promotions to finish the year at low Class A West Michigan. Perez has an exciting combination of quick-twitch, bouncy athleticism and bat control from a premium position player. He has quick wrists, good bat speed and a knack for barreling all types of pitches, with good hand-eye coordination and plate coverage. Perez showed a little more power than he did last year, though he projects to have a hit-over-power offensive profile. A plus runner, Perez has the athleticism, hands, range and arm strength to stick at shortstop, though he’s still learning to cut down on decision-making mistakes and play under control.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2016 international draft class for $550,000, the progression of Wenceel Perez has been a curious story to follow. After spending 2017 in the Dominican Summer League, Perez dazzled the following year with a jump across three affiliates, including slashing .309/.324/.441 with Class A West Michigan. Between 2019 and 2021, Perez hit a snag at the plate and in the field, producing some rough defense from a once seemingly fluid infielder. Perez hit a new stride in 2022, earning a promotion to Double-A Erie where he slashed .307/.374/.540.
  
  Scouting Report: One of the most confounding development stories within the Tigers' organization, Perez is once again proof that no prospect develops at the same pace. A confident, athletic infielder, Perez, at his strongest, is light of foot with polished hands and a mature first step. Although he spent the majority of his early years at shortstop, the Tigers have transitioned Perez to more work at second base, where he spent a good deal of his 2022 season. In addition to displaying more raw power in 2022, Perez produced more plate discipline by navigating from his previous tendency to chase deceptive pitching.
  
  The Future: With his successes at the Double-A level, in addition to added defensive versatility, Perez could stand a return to Erie to start the 2023 season. Perez was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 45. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2016 international draft class for $550,000, the progression of Wenceel Perez has been a curious story to follow. After spending 2017 in the Dominican Summer League, Perez dazzled the following year with a jump across three affiliates, including slashing .309/.324/.441 with Class A West Michigan. Between 2019 and 2021, Perez hit a snag at the plate and in the field, producing some rough defense from a once seemingly fluid infielder. Perez hit a new stride in 2022, earning a promotion to Double-A Erie where he slashed .307/.374/.540.
  
  Scouting Report: One of the most confounding development stories within the Tigers' organization, Perez is once again proof that no prospect develops at the same pace. A confident, athletic infielder, Perez, at his strongest, is light of foot with polished hands and a mature first step. Although he spent the majority of his early years at shortstop, the Tigers have transitioned Perez to more work at second base, where he spent a good deal of his 2022 season. In addition to displaying more raw power in 2022, Perez produced more plate discipline by navigating from his previous tendency to chase deceptive pitching.
  
  The Future: With his successes at the Double-A level, in addition to added defensive versatility, Perez could stand a return to Erie to start the 2023 season. Perez was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 45. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Perez signed for $550,000 in July 2016 and made a strong first impression. He crushed the Dominican Summer League and advanced three levels all the way to low Class A West Michigan as an 18-year old, where he appeared in 16 games. He returned to the Midwest League in 2019 and made some adjustments, but still struggled overall.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Perez projects as an average defender up the middle with some feel to play shortstop. He has good footwork with plus foot speed and range. His arm is average and profiles at the position. Perez’s bat is much more in question. He has bat speed from both sides of the plate but projects to have well below-average power. He can barrel up pitches thanks to quick hands and shows glimpses of impact but lacks consistency with his hitting approach, resulting in low averages and on-base percentages. He is still working to get the most from his speed and was successful on just 21 of 34 stolen base attempts in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Perez’s ceiling is a second-division regular, but his likelier role may be a sturdy utility infielder. BA GRADE 50 Risk: Extreme BA GRADE 45 Risk: High
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Perez signed for $550,000 in July 2016 and made a strong first impression. He crushed the Dominican Summer League and advanced three levels all the way to low Class A West Michigan as an 18-year old, where he appeared in 16 games. He returned to the Midwest League in 2019 and made some adjustments, but still struggled overall.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Perez projects as an average defender up the middle with some feel to play shortstop. He has good footwork with plus foot speed and range. His arm is average and profiles at the position. Perez's bat is much more in question. He has bat speed from both sides of the plate but projects to have well below-average power. He can barrel up pitches thanks to quick hands and shows glimpses of impact but lacks consistency with his hitting approach, resulting in low averages and on-base percentages. He is still working to get the most from his speed and was successful on just 21 of 34 stolen base attempts in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Perez's ceiling is a second-division regular, but his likelier role may be a sturdy utility infielder.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Perez ranked No. 23 on the Baseball America 2016 Top 30 international prospects largely because he was athletic with a knack for hitting. He’s lived up to that scouting report and more as he played his way out of the Gulf Coast League in less than a month by blitzing the league to the tune of a .383/.462/.543 slash line. Perez is a potentially plus hitter with the speed and athleticism to stay at shortstop.