Freicer Perez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked New York Yankees #13 prospect in 2018
  When the Yankees signed Perez, they knew he was a project built on the projectability of the changeup he showed as a teenager. At 6-foot-8 and 190 pounds, Perez had plenty more room to add strength. He's added 50 pounds since then and has seen the corresponding velocity gains. Built like current Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, Perez can sit in the mid-90s with his fastball and has touched triple-digits. He spent all of 2017 at low Class A Charleston, where his 2.84 ERA and 117 strikeouts placed him among the league's top 10 in both categories. He's got a four-pitch package, with the changeup as the best of his three secondaries. His slider and curveball both vary in their consistency. On the right day, they might flash average, and some outside evaluators see them both becoming 55-grade offerings in the future. As would be expected for a man his size, Perez has some issues he needs to iron out in his delivery. In particular, he needs to work on staying on-line to home plate instead of getting side-to-side. He'll advance to high Class A Tampa this year, where he could work with pitching coach Tim Norton, who stands 6-foot-7 himself. If everything clicks, he has a chance to be a No. 3 starter. If not, he could be a fireballing reliever.