Sergio Perez
| IP | 976 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.085 |
| WHIP | 1.476 |
| BB/9 | 3.679 |
| SO/9 | 6.123 |
- Full name Sergio Daniel Perez
- Born 12/05/1984 in Tampa, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Tampa
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Perez missed most of the 2008 season because of a groin injury followed by a freak broken hand injury that occurred while he was trying to bunt. He rediscovered his fire in the Arizona Fall League, continuing his ascent from NCAA Division II Tampa, where he led the team to a national title in 2006 with a win in the semifinals and a save in the championship. As he did in college, Perez attacks hitters with a 90-94 mph fastball, sitting most often at 91. Another weapon is his major league average slider, which has good depth and tilt at around 85 mph. His changeup is solid but would be more effective if he would pace himself better out of the delivery. Perez tries to combat sometimes so-so command by throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot, though he tends to lower it at times. He's already got an arm wrap, so that slows down his delivery as well. Despite an encouraging effort in the AFL, look for Perez to return to Corpus Christi, with a shot to reach Round Rock before the all-star break if he pitches well. He has the pitches to remain a starter for now, though most believe he'll eventually be better in the bullpen. -
Perez was the Astros' backup plan for their first-round choice in the 2006 draft, so they were delighted to get him 44 picks later in the second round. He was a star at NCAA Division II Tampa, throwing the Spartans' first no-hitter in a decade and helping them win the national title in his draft year with a win as a starter in the semifinals and a save in the clincher. Houston eased him into pro ball as a reliever that summer but returned him to the rotation in 2007. There's nothing subtle about Perez. He likes to go after hitters with his 91-93 mph fastball, which tops out at 95 and peaked at 97 in college. His heater has late life, and he backs it up with an 83-85 mph slider. The Astros liked his changeup when he was at Tampa, but he uses his slider too much at the expense of it now. He also tips off the changeup by slowing down his arm action. Perez' arm action isn't pretty, with a wrist wrap in the back, but it gives him some deception and Houston doesn't want to change him too much. He's working on a two-seam fastball to go with his four-seamer, because hitters don't tend to miss his mistakes. Perez has a high-maintenance body and must remain dedicated to his conditioning. He still could wind up a reliever in the long run and has the mentality to work the late innings. The Astros have moved him aggressively and will send him to Double-A this year. -
If Max Sapp had been gone when it came time for the Astros' first-round choice last June, their backup plan was to take Perez. Instead, they got him 44 picks later in the second round and signed him for $550,000. Perez starred at Tampa, throwing the Spartans' first no-hitter in a decade and helping them win the Division II College World Series. He earned a win as a starter in the semifinal and a save in the finale. After his long college season, Houston eased him into pro ball as a reliever in low Class A. Though he wasn't comfortable coming out of the bullpen, Perez showed a lively 92-93 mph fastball that topped out at 97 and good feel for his hard slider. He struggles at times to repeat his delivery, which includes violent arm action. The Astros plan on developing him as a starter, and he'll need to develop a usable changeup to flourish in that role. He could return to Lexington to begin his first full season, but he has the stuff to skip a level at some point.
Minor League Top Prospects
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A second-round pick in 2006, Perez made his full-season debut with the Avalanche. He was up an down for much of the season, but he showed two quality pitches throughout. His fastball has excellent late life and sits at 91-93 mph, while his 84-mph slider was his out pitch for much of the year. Perez' changeup improved as the season wore on, though he still doesn't have quite the arm action he needs to make it as effective as it could be. He repeats his delivery well, though some scouts expressed concern with the way he wraps his wrist in the back of his delivery
