Fernando Perez Stats & Scouting Report

AB	123
AVG	.228
OBP	.326
SLG	.276
HR	1

Full name Fernando Perez
Born 09/13/1993 in Ensenada, BCN, Mexico
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Central Arizona JC
Drafted in the 3rd round (102nd overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2012 (signed for $400,000).

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Perez put up impressive numbers at Central Arizona (.338/.399/.571), especially considering Arizona junior colleges use wood bats and he could have been a senior in high school. A Mexico native, he moved to California to live with his uncle in 2010, his sophomore year. He played two years at Otay Ranch High in Chula Vista, Calif., but had enough credits to graduate and joined childhood friend Jorge Flores at Central Arizona. Perez shared the middle infield with Flores, spending most of his time at second base, though he profiles better at third. He started hot with the bat, then went through a slump, but battled through the adversity. A lefthanded hitter, Perez got pull-happy during his slump, but generally has a smooth swing with good balance and bat speed. He made adjustments and knows how to use the whole field. Scouts see him as an average to plus hitter with average power potential. He has a strong arm and soft hands, but will have to work hard to remain at third base because of his thick lower half and questionable footwork.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Born in Ensenada, Mexico, a coastal town an hour's drive from San Diego, Perez graduated high school a year early and attended Central Arizona JC in 2012, hitting .338 as an 18-year-old in a wood-bat conference. His bat is expected to be his carrying tool, but it was certainly less potent in 2015 than 2014, when he slugged .454 at low Class A Fort Wayne. Switching parks to high Class A Lake Elsinore certainly didn't help, because the Storm play in the second-worst offensive environment in the hitter-friendly California League. But Perez's lessened output also resulted from a lack of a consistent approach at the plate. He has a classic lefthanded swing and the ability to consistently lay the barrel on the ball, but in 2015 he hit the ball on the ground more often than in 2014. Perez continued working with Lake Elsinore hitting coach Xavier Nady in the Arizona Fall League on incorporating some swing changes. Perez also is working on his defense after committing 18 errors in 2015 while playing the majority of his games at second base. The Padres feel Perez made real strides in the dirt, and they see a potent offensive second baseman as his ceiling. He could move to Double-A San Antonio in 2016.
Perez injured his thumb during 2013 spring training and endured a lost year at short-season Eugene when he returned, but he's still right where he needs to be. He graduated high school a year early and attended Central Arizona JC in 2012, hitting .338 as an 18-year-old in a wood-bat conference. The Padres pounced on Perez in the third round of the 2012 draft, and two years later he's making them look smart. He tracks the ball well out of the pitcher's hand and has a knack for barreling the ball, with a picturesque lefthanded swing that delivers power to all fields. He ranked fourth in the low Class A Midwest League with 18 home runs and led the circuit with 95 RBIs in 2014. Scouts project Perez to be a plus hitter with at least average power production. He doesn't run well, and he lacks the lateral quickness to profile at second base, where he spent the most time in 2014, but his average arm will play at third base and his bat could possibly profile at first base. Look for Perez to move to high Class A Lake Elsinore in 2015.
Born in Mexico, Perez moved to the United States in 2010 to live with his uncle and play for Otay Ranch High in Chula Vista, Calif. He had enough credits to graduate a year early, so he moved on to Central Arizona JC in 2012, batting a loud .338/.399/.571 with wood bats as the equivalent of a high school senior. The Padres were thrilled to land Perez with a third-round pick last June and sign him for $400,000, citing the advanced timing and balance of his lefthanded swing as reasons for their excitement. He drives the ball to all fields, slugging five extra-base hits in 14 games in the Arizona League, despite playing through a wrist injury that required surgery and knocked him out of instructional league. Perez could grow to be an above-average hitter with solid power output. His defensive home is a bigger question than his bat because his thick lower half and below-average speed probably mean he'll lack the agility to play second base. His arm is strong and his hands soft, so third base could be his long-term home. Some in the organization believe Perez has the best pure hitting stroke in the system, which ought to allow him to produce in low Class A in 2013.

Draft Prospects

Perez put up impressive numbers at Central Arizona (.338/.399/.571), especially considering Arizona junior colleges use wood bats and he could have been a senior in high school. A Mexico native, he moved to California to live with his uncle in 2010, his sophomore year. He played two years at Otay Ranch High in Chula Vista, Calif., but had enough credits to graduate and joined childhood friend Jorge Flores at Central Arizona. Perez shared the middle infield with Flores, spending most of his time at second base, though he profiles better at third. He started hot with the bat, then went through a slump, but battled through the adversity. A lefthanded hitter, Perez got pull-happy during his slump, but generally has a smooth swing with good balance and bat speed. He made adjustments and knows how to use the whole field. Scouts see him as an average to plus hitter with average power potential. He has a strong arm and soft hands, but will have to work hard to remain at third base because of his thick lower half and questionable footwork.