Juan Carlos Perez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #22 prospect in 2014
  The Giants had a mostly forgettable 2013 season, but Perez's defense was a sight to behold. His first big league chance was a wall-crashing catch in center field in Phoenix, and the Bronx native kept making plays from there. In fact, he led Giants outfielders with eight assists despite playing just 218 innings. Undrafted out of high school, Perez worked for his father as a plumber's apprentice and played in the Bronx's El Caribe men's league before winding up at Western Oklahoma State JC, where he set a junior-college home run record. He's a plus-plus runner with surprising power, but he gets overmatched at times and probably strikes out too often to profile as an everyday player. Perez lived a dream when the Giants spent a week in New York in September, getting three hits at Citi Field one day and two at Yankee Stadium the next. Given the importance of outfield defense at AT&T Park, there's a good chance he sticks with the Giants as a fifth outfielder to open the 2014 season.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #22 prospect in 2013
  You have to dream a little bit on Perez, who is old for a prospect and stayed in the game between high school and junior college by playing night ball for El Caribe--the Bronx's well known amateur men's league--while working as a plumbing apprentice for his father. Now entering his fifth season in the Giants organization, Perez just continues to compete well wherever they send him. He played alongside Gary Brown at Richmond and was every bit as good a defensive outfielder while outhitting Brown in a pitcher's park in a pitcher's league. The Flying Squirrels even played Perez in center and Brown in left a few times. Perez has above-average arm strength. He's an aggressive hitter with an upright stance who resembles Ian Kinsler in the way he arches backward at times. He doesn't have a flat path through the zone and often swings for the fences, which won't work once he arrives at AT&T Park. He'll have to do a better job controlling ball flight and thinking line drive, allowing him to better employ his plus speed. Perez gets out of the box as fast as anyone in the system. He's not a good baserunner, stealing just 18 bases while getting caught 15 times. Perez should be a candidate to make the big league club as a fifth outfielder this spring. San Francisco added him to its 40-man roster in November.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #24 prospect in 2011
  Perez earned his prospect stripes a little later than most. But then again, he has a better story to tell. The Dominican native moved to the United States in 2001 and wasn't drafted out of high school in the Bronx, so he apprenticed for his father's plumbing company and played in an amateur men's league. After facing all those ex-pros, Perez was well prepared when he got an opportunity to play at Western Oklahoma JC. He set Division II national juco records with 37 homers and 102 RBIs in 2008, which got him drafted in the 13th round by San Francisco. Perez packs a lot of punch in a small body, and his ability to play second base in addition to all three outfield spots gives him multiple avenues to advance. He was so good in center field that the Giants moved a better prospect, Francisco Peguero, to right field. He's an above-average runner and thrower who could hit for average and power. He showed that power in the Carolina League-California League all-star game, earning MVP honors with a homer and a double. Breaking balls at times gave Perez problems in high Class A, and he doesn't have premium bat speed to catch up to the best fastballs. He'll have to become more efficient on the bases after he was caught stealing (15) almost as often as he succeeded. Special assistant Felipe Alou said his tools conjure Craig Biggio, but Perez needs to boost his walk rate and turn some of his fly balls into line drives.