Joe Perez

Perez has some of the highest upside of any prep pitcher in this year's class because of a fastball he routinely gets into the upper 90s. At the same time, Perez is an extremely raw thrower, with only two years of experience on the mound. Perez experienced shoulder tendinitis that took him off the rubber for a few weeks after the National High School Invitational this spring, where his fastball topped out at 94.4 mph in three innings, according to TrackMan. Several weeks after that, Perez got on the mound again and was back in the upper 90s, touching 99 according to one gun. He's also shown the makings of an above-average to plus slider with tight spin and low-to-mid-80s velocity, though the pitch is inconsistent. Perez's lack of experience and inconsistent command lead some evaluators to project him as a reliever long term. Perez is also a prospect as a position player, although he doesn't offer near the amount upside as a hitter as he does on the mound, predominantly because of how he profiles. Perez has mostly played third base when he's not on the mound--Alex Toral plays first with Archbishop McCarthy--and has easily been the team's best hitter, leading in most major offensive categories and showing power to all fields. He's performed better in the box than on the mound this spring, and while his arm certainly plays from the hot corner, there are questions about his footwork, lateral movement and hands at that position moving forward, making first base the most likely position for him if he isn't a pitcher. The upside with Perez is enormous, but there are many questions, and a team will have to believe they can teach him to be a pitcher rather than just a hard thrower to be taken in the first few rounds.