Tag: luis perales

Red Sox trade Luis Perales to Nationals for fellow pitching prospect Jake Bennett

The Red Sox and Nationals swung an interesting trade involving two pitching prospects on Monday night, with Boston acquiring left-hander Jake Bennett from Washington for right-hander Luis Perales.

Neither Bennett nor Perales has pitched in the majors yet, though they were already on their respective clubs’ 40-man rosters. Bennett was added last month, so he has three minor league options remaining. Perales, on the other hand, was added in November 2023 and has just one option remaining.

This unique one-for-one swap marks the first major trade Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made with one of his former top lieutenants in Paul Toboni, who left his role as assistant general manager in October to take over as the Nationals’ president of baseball operations.

Bennett, who turned 25 earlier this month, was originally selected by the Nationals in the second round (45th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Oklahoma. The former Sooner received a $1,734,800 signing bonus and made his professional debut in April 2023, only to undergo Tommy John surgery that September and miss the entire 2024 season as a result.

Bennett returned to the mound this past May and pitched at three levels, posting a 2.27 ERA (2.96 FIP) with 64 strikeouts to 19 walks over 19 appearances. (18 starts) totaling 75 1/3 innings between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. Upon being promoted from High-A Wilmington to Double-A Harrisburg in July, the lefty forged a 2.56 ERA (3.20 FIP) with 33 strikeouts to 11 walks in 10 outings (nine starts) and 45 2/3 innings. He then struck out 25 (and walked only five) across 20 innings in the Arizona Fall League en route to being named an AFL All-Star.

Added to the Nationals’ 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection purposes in November, Bennett was ranked as the organization’s No. 6 prospect by Baseball America, which characterized him as “a no-doubt starter with a good chance to settle in as a No. 4 type in a rotation.” Per his BA scouting report, the 6-foot-6, 234-pound southpaw has “a wide assortment of pitches that play up because he gets down the mound with plus extension. While he doesn’t blow batters away with raw velocity, Bennett is around the zone with six different pitches he can use to attack both sides of the plate. His four-seam fastball velocity was a tick higher in 2025 than it had been during his pro debut and averaged 92-93 mph and topped out near 96.

“His low three-quarters arm slot adds deception,” it continues. “He mixes in sinkers and occasional cutters to vary his fastball looks. Bennett’s carrying secondary pitch is his mid-80s changeup that fades to his arm side and flummoxes minor league right-handed batters, who hit .210 with no home runs against him in 2025. He has good touch on an average low-to-mid-80s slider and high-70s curveball, both of which he can spot for strikes and elicit some chases. He throws breaking pitches only about 20% of the time, opting for more of a fastball/changeup attack. Bennett has plus control of his entire arsenal.”

In a text exchange with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Breslow said that the Red Sox “feel like Bennett is a high probability starter that excels in some things that are hard to teach. Fastball playability driven by above-average extension and strike-throwing ability. His whiff rates and ability to manage hard contact have us confident in his ability to be a major league starter.”

Perales, who turns 23 in April, was ranked as Boston’s No. 5 prospect by Baseball America, which described him as having “a bazooka” for an arm. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019 and steadily rose through the system before reaching Double-A Portland in May 2024. He, unfortunately, tore the UCL in his pitching elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery the following month.

After a lengthy rehab process, Perales returned to Portland and reached Triple-A Worcester late in the 2025 season, appearing in three games for the two affiliates. Like Bennett, Perales then headed out west to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. There, the hard-throwing righty got up to 101 mph with his fastball and earned AFL All-Star honors, though he walked 11 (and struck out 19) in his 11 1/3 innings of work.

Unlike Bennett, Perales is more undersized at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. Before Monday’s trade, he was expected to possibly factor into Boston’s 2026 rotation mix alongside other young pitchers like Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Kyle Harrison, and Hunter Dobbins, among others. He will now begin this next chapter of his professional career with a rebuilding Nationals team and should have a chance to reach the majors as soon as next year.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects Luis Perales, Stanley Tucker named 2025 Fall Stars

Red Sox prospects Luis Perales and Stanley Tucker have been selected to the 2025 Fall Stars Game, the Arizona Fall League announced on Thursday.

Perales, a 22-year-old right-hander, and Tucker, a 23-year-old infielder/outfielder, will represent the Salt River Rafters by suiting up for the American League in the 19th annual Fall Stars Game at Mesa’s Sloan Park on Sunday night. The game, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET, will be broadcast live on MLB Network and MLB.com.

Perales, one of Boston’s top pitching prospects and a member of the club’s 40-man roster, is still in the process of working his way back from June 2024 Tommy John surgery. After a lengthy rehab, the Venezuelan-born righty returned to the mound in September, appearing in two games (one start) for Double-A Portland and one game for Triple-A Worcester before the minor-league season concluded.

So far this fall, Perales has mostly struggled in the hitter-friendly AFL. Through five starts for Salt River, the 6-foot-1 hurler has posted a 9.58 ERA with 16 strikeouts to 10 walks over 10 1/3 innings in which opponents have batted .326 against him. Stuff-wise, he has reached triple digits with his fastball while also mixing in a cutter, slider, and changeup.

As he is slated to make his sixth start for Salt River on Friday, Perales will not pitch in Sunday’s Fall Stars Game. With that being said, he will nonetheless be an intriguing name to watch from within the Red Sox organization for various reasons heading into 2026.

Tucker, meanwhile, is not ranked among Boston’s top prospects but is also working his way back from injury following a lost 2025. After suffering a torn labrum from dislocating his shoulder last August that required surgery, the former 2023 19th-round draft selection out of Texas A&M crashed into the outfield wall in his first spring training game in March, dislocating a bone in his right wrist. He then spent all season on Low-A Salem’s 60-day injured list.

Now healthy, Tucker has had a solid fall thus far. Coming into play on Thursday, the right-handed hitter has batted .288/.397/.333 with three doubles, 14 RBIs, 10 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts through 20 games (78 plate appearances) for Salt River. His 12 base thefts are good for the fourth-most in the AFL.

Defensively, Tucker has seen all of his playing time this fall come at second base. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder has logged a team-leading 162 1/3 innings at the keystone for Salt River, committing seven errors in 94 chances. He also has prior professional experience at third base and all three outfield positions.

Beyond Perales and Tucker, former Red Sox farmhand Miguel Ugueto (taken by the Cardinals in the minor league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft) was named a National League Fall Star on Thursday. Additionally, Braden Montgomery, one of four prospects traded to the White Sox for ace Garrett Crochet last December, is a finalist via the ‘Final 2’ fan vote for the last spot on the American League’s Fall Stars roster. Whether he makes it or not will be determined on Friday.

 (Picture of Luis Perales: Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect resumes throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer

It appears as though top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has resumed throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, based on a video posted to X by his trainer Luis Saborio on Wednesday.

Perales, the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America, was in the midst of a breakout 2024 season before injuring his pitching elbow last June. The 21-year-old right-hander started somewhat slow out of the gate in April but turned things around by posting a 3.42 ERA (1.92 FIP) with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks in seven starts (26 1/3 innings) for High-A Greenville. He was then rewarded with a promotion to Double-A Portland on May 26.

Just two starts into his first Double-A stint, however, Perales tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow on June 8. He was placed on Portland’s injured list the following day and ultimately underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery — or a full UCL reconstruction — towards the end of the month.

Altogether, Perales forged a 2.94 ERA (1.91 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to 12 walks in nine total outings (33 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland last year. Opposing hitters batted .250 against him, though it is worth noting that that figure is tied to an abnormally high .431 batting average on balls in play.

Not including the Dominican Summer League, Perales was one of 67 Red Sox minor-leaguers to pitch at least 33 innings in 2024. Among those 67, the righty ranked first in FIP (1.91) and strikeouts per nine innings (14.97), second in xFIP (2.09), strikeout rate (38.9 percent), and swinging-strike rate (19.6 percent), 10th in ERA and groundball rate (48.6 percent), 19th in walk rate (8.3 percent), 23rd in walks per nine innings (3.21), and 29th in WHIP (1.31), per FanGraphs.

At the time of his injury, Perales had recently entered Baseball America’s Top 100 rankings for the first time and was regarded as the No. 57 prospect in the sport. While he has since dropped from that list, Perales “just missed” being included in BA’s updated Top 100 rankings (which were released on Wednesday) heading into the 2025 campaign.

As highlighted by Baseball America’s Josh Norris, Perales saw his stock rise last season thanks — in part — to an uptick in fastball velocity and a revamped arsenal. To complement his high-octane heater that sat between 95-98 mph and reached 99 mph, the 6-foot-1 hurler mixed in a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s splitter, and a developing mid-80s sweeper.

Perales, who turns 22 in April, originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native had to wait nearly two years to make his professional debut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he showed enough from there to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November 2023 and receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Given the expectation that the Red Sox will exercise caution and patience here, it seems likely that Perales will miss the entire 2025 season while focusing on his rehab. If all goes well, though, he could complete his recovery by the end of the year and put himself in a position to fully ramp up for a return to the mound at some point early on in 2026.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo likely requires Tommy John surgery

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo is likely to require Tommy John surgery, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Like fellow right-hander Luis Perales, Bastardo has damage in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his throwing elbow. Surgery is viewed as the likely outcome, though the 22-year-old will meet with a doctor before making a final decision.

Bastardo, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday on Tuesday, has been on Double-A Portland’s injured list since June 6. The night prior, he left his start at Hadlock Field in the fourth after crumpling to the ground in pain following the delivery of a pitch. He was initially diagnosed with a sprained UCL, but it appears further imaging and testing revealed a more serious prognosis.

In 10 starts for Portland this season, Bastardo posted a 5.36 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 53 strikeouts to 21 walks over 45 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .225 against him. His 26.6 percent punchout rate ranks 16th among 50 Eastern League pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings coming into play on Tuesday, per FanGraphs.

Originally signed out of Venezuela for $35,000 in July 2018, Bastardo is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. As noted by Speier, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound righty has shown an intriguing fastball that has reached 97-98 mph this year. He also features a swing-and-miss changeup, a curveball, and a slider.

If he does indeed undergo Tommy John surgery, Bastardo would be looking at a lengthy rehab process that would keep him sidelined for the rest of 2024 and most — if not all — of 2025. An internal bracing procedure to repair the damaged UCL would have a faster recovery timeline but would still necessitate a lengthy absence.

Unlike Perales, who is slated to visit Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Birmingham, Ala. next week, Bastardo is not on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster. He can, however, become a minor-league free agent at the end of the 2025 season, so the timing of all this is far from ideal.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales to undergo Tommy John surgery

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedics Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Perales has been on Double-A Portland’s 7-day injured list since June 9 after leaving his start with elbow inflammation the night prior. As noted by Cotillo, the Red Sox were initially optimistic that the right-hander — who was in Boston for imaging late last week — was not dealing with a serious injury but an MRI revealed “significant damage” in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his pitching elbow.

Perales, 21, was in the midst of a breakout season after being added to Boston’s 40-man roster over the winter and taking part in his first big-league camp this spring. He opened the 2024 campaign at High-A Greenville, where he posted a 3.42 ERA and 2.04 FIP with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks in seven starts (26 1/3 innings) for the Drive.

After receiving a promotion to Portland in late May, Perales made his Double-A debut on June 2 and allowed just one unearned run while striking out seven over five innings. He took the mound for the Sea Dogs again at Hadlock Field six days later and yielded two runs (one earned) before departing with one out in the top of the third inning.

Altogether, Perales forged a 2.94 ERA (2.01 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to 12 walks in nine starts (33 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. His 38.9 percent strikeout rate ranks eighth among 894 minor-leaguers who have pitched at least 30 innings to this point in the year, per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Perales originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Guacara in July 2019. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound hurler is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization. Before getting hurt, Perales was making strides toward possibly being in the Sox’ major-league plans by next season. He was recently tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 57 prospect in the sport, marking the first time he has been included in the outlet’s top-100 rankings.

Now, Perales will miss the rest of 2024 and most — if not all — of 2025 while recovering and rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which can be a grueling process. Since he is on the club’s 40-man roster, the Red Sox could recall Perales and place him on the 60-day injured list to free up a roster spot for someone else. That would, however, start his big-league service time clock.

Regardless of that though, it is worth noting — as SoxProspects.com Chris Hatfield did — that Perales will likely have burned through two of his three minor-league option years by the time he is ready to fully contribute in 2026. He could become eligible for a fourth option down the line, but that is not a given.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top pitching prospect Luis Perales to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting top pitching prospect Luis Perales from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Perales, 21, is coming off one of the best starts of his young career in his last time out against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday. The right-hander allowed only one hit and two walks to go along with a season-high 12 strikeouts over five scoreless innings. He threw 81 pitches (49 strikes) and induced 26 swings-and-misses.

On the 2024 campaign as a whole, Perales has posted a 3.42 ERA and 1.98 FIP with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks across seven starts (26 1/3 innings) for Greenville. He missed some time last month due to side soreness but has impressed since returning to the mound, pitching to a 2.11 ERA (1.97 FIP) with 39 punchouts to eight walks over his last five outings (21 1/3 innings) dating back to April 27.

Among 60 pitchers in the South Atlantic League who came into play Wednesday with at least 25 innings under their belts this season, Perales ranked first in strikeouts per nine innings (15.72), strikeout rate (39.7 percent), and swinging-strike rate (20.7 percent), per FanGraphs. He also led the pack in batting average on balls put in play (.474), which suggests that the defense behind him has been lacking at times.

In addition to the gaudy strikeout numbers, Perales has also given up fewer walks and has induced softer contact. As The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier recently noted, Perales has cut down his walk rate from 12.7 percent last year to 8.6 percent this year while elevating his groundball rate from around 30 percent to 47.3 percent.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-to-high leg kick into his delivery. The righty primarily operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a high-90s fastball that tops out at 98-99 mph, a low-90s cutter, a low-80s changeup, and a mid-80s slider.

Perales, who does not turn 22 until next April, originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. Alongside fellow countryman Wikelman Gonzalez, Perales was added to the club’s 40-man roster over the winter to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind fellow righties Gonzalez and Richard Fitts.

In Portland, Perales is slated to join a starting rotation that — for the time being — includes the likes of Gonzalez, Angel Bastardo, Isaac Coffey, Zach Penrod, Helcris Olivarez, and Hunter Dobbins. If any of these arms were to make the jump to Triple-A Worcester to accommodate the addition of Perales, Penrod would seemingly be a prime candidate.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox add top pitching prospects Wikelman Gonzalez, Luis Perales to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 deadline

The Red Sox added two of their top pitching prospects to the 40-man roster on Tuesday in order to protect them from being available in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Boston selected the contracts of right-handers Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales, bringing its 40-man roster up to 39 players. Even with that one vacant spot, the club somewhat surprisingly decided against adding another eligible top pitching prospect in left-hander Shane Drohan.

Gonzalez, 21, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Sox’ farm system, which ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only Perales. The Venezuelan-born righty split the 2023 season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, posting a 3.96 ERA and 3.33 FIP with 168 strikeouts to 70 walks in 25 starts spanning 111 1/3 innings of work.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Greenville, Gonzalez returned to the Drive this spring but struggled out of the gate by allowing 15 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings in his first four starts of the year. He then turned a corner as the calendar flipped from April to May, forging a 3.48 ERA across his next 11 outings (54 1/3 innings) before earning a promotion to Portland on July 14.

In his first start with the Sea Dogs on July 16, Gonzalez fanned nine of the 23 batters he faced over six scoreless innings on the road against the Reading Fightin Phils. Six days later, he struck out 10 more while being responsible for the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

All told, Gonzalez produced a 2.42 ERA and 3.07 FIP with 63 strikeouts to 28 walks in his final 10 starts (48 1/3 innings) of the season for Portland. He put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .162 batting average against.

Recognized as Boston’s 2023 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in September, Gonzalez led all qualified Red Sox minor-leaguers in strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings (13.58), strikeout rate (35.2 percent), and batting average against (.189). On the flip side of that, though, the 6-foot, 167-pounder also posted a suboptimal 14.7 percent walk rate.

Gonzalez originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. He now throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 94-96 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph, a 75-79 mph curveball that features 11-to-5 break, an 84-88 mph changeup, and an 84-88 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Perales, Boston’s No. 7 overall prospect according to Baseball America, also split the 2023 season between two levels. The 20-year-old righty broke camp this spring with Low-A Salem and pitched to a 3.21 ERA (3.16 FIP) with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts (53 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox. He then made the jump to Greenville at the same time Gonzalez moved up to Portland during the All-Star break in July.

In eight starts for the Drive, Perales posted a 4.95 ERA (6.07 FIP) to go along with 44 strikeouts to 22 walks over 36 1/3 innings in which opponents batted .275 against him. Altogether, Perales finished the year with a 3.91 ERA (4.34 FIP) and 115 strikeouts to 50 walks across 21 total starts (89 2/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native signed with Boston for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019 and has now put himself in a position where he can be viewed as arguably the No. 1 pitching prospect in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and works with five different pitches: a 94-96 mph fastball that can reach 99 mph, an 88-91 mph cutter that features short, horizontal break, an 81-85 mph slider, and an 85-87 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report. In similar fashion to Gonzalez, much of Perales’ development moving forward hinges on if he can improve his control/command of the strike zone.

Gonzalez, who turns 22 in March, is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. Perales, who turns 21 in April, is expected to return to Greenville next spring.

Drohan, meanwhile, looked like a sure bet to join Gonzalez and Perales on Boston’s 40-man roster just a few months ago. The 24-year-old lefty got off to a fantastic start this season, putting up a 1.32 ERA (2.42 FIP) with 36 strikeouts to nine walks in six starts (34 innings) for Portland before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in mid-May.

With the WooSox, though, Drohan struggled mightily to the tune of a 6.47 ERA (6.55 FIP) and 93 strikeouts to 63 walks over 21 outings (19 starts) spanning 89 innings. It did not help that his both his stuff and command faded as the year progressed and that obviously created some question marks regarding his upside.

Drohan, the No. 3 pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system behind Perales and Gonzalez, was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Florida State. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000.

Now that he has been left unprotected, Drohan — who turns 25 in January — could be scooped up by another team for $100,000 in December’s Rule 5 Draft. That club would then need to carry the 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw on their active roster for the entirety of the 2024 season (barring an injury) or would otherwise have to place him on outright waivers and then offer him back to the Red Sox for $50,000 should he clear.

The Red Sox, of course, lost three pitchers in last year’s Rule 5 Draft as Thad Ward (Nationals), Noah Song (Phillies), and Andrew Politi (Orioles) were all nabbed by other teams. Of those three, though, Ward was the only one to not be offered back to Boston at any point this past season.

(Picture of Wikelman Gonzalez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Luis Perales to High-A Greenville

With Wikelman Gonzalez making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting fellow pitching prospect Luis Perales from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Perales, 20, posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts spanning 53 1/3 innings of work for Salem this season. The right-hander ended the first half on a strong note, firing five scoreless frames for the second outing in a row as part of an 11-0 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday.

Among 47 Carolina League pitchers who came into play Sunday with at least 50 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Perales ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.98), 11th in strikeout rate (31.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.193), first in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 15th in ERA, seventh in FIP, and 15th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter and directly ahead of Gonzalez.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty utilizes a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph and complemented by a power slider that sits in the mid-80s as well as a developing changeup that hovers in the upper-80s.

Coming out of the All-Star break later this week, Perales figures to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes fellow righties Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Bradley Blalock as well as left-hander Dalton Rogers.

As is the case with Gonzalez, Perales — who does not turn 21 next April — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Luis Perales named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 12-18, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Perales made one start for Low-A Salem in its series against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Saturday. The 20-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work.

The lone hit and walk came with one out in the top of the second inning. Perales then retired the last 14 batters he faced to finish with 74 pitches (50 strikes). He also induced 14 swings-and-misses and picked up the win as the Red Sox went on to defeat the Shorebirds by a final score of 5-0.

In 10 starts for Salem this season, Perales has posted a 4.06 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 49 strikeouts to 21 walks across 37 2/3 innings. After allowing seven earned runs in his first two starts of the year, the righty has pitched to a 2.60 ERA and 2.93 FIP in his last eight outings (34 2/3 innings) dating back to April 21.

Among the 93 Carolina League pitchers who have worked at least 30 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Perales ranks 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (11.71), 28th in strikeout rate (29.5 percent), 38th in batting average against (.221), seventh in swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), 17th in FIP, and 32nd in xFIP (3.69), per FanGraphs.

Perales originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a power slider that sits in the mid-80s, and a developing changeup that sits in the upper-80s.

Though the results have been encouraging as of late, there is still room for improvement when it comes to Perales’ command of the strike zone. Put another way, it would be beneficial if continued to cut down on the walks as he has been doing in recent weeks.

Perales, who does not turn 21 until next April, could be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if current trends continue. He made the jump from the Florida Complex League to Salem a little more than 10 months ago, so the one-year anniversary for that milestone is fast approaching.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Luis Perales identified by MLB Pipeline as having best fastball of any Red Sox pitching prospect

Luis Perales was recently identified by MLB Pipeline as having the best fastball of any Red Sox pitching prospect. The 19-year-old is currently regarded by the publication as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

The Red Sox originally signed Perales for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. Shortly after signing that summer, the hard-throwing right-hander was clocked at 95 mph with his heater.

Fast forward nearly four years later, and Perales is coming off a strong stateside debut in which he posted a 1.77 ERA and 3.24 FIP with 50 strikeouts to 20 walks in 13 appearances (11 starts) spanning 35 2/3 innings of work between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.

Perales opened the 2022 minor-league season with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate and forged a 1.08 ERA (2.31 FIP) in eight outings (seven starts, 25 innings) before earning a promotion to Salem in late August. The Guacara native closed out the year by putting up a 3.37 ERA (5.44 FIP) over 10 2/3 innings with the Red Sox of the Carolina League.

On the heels of such an impressive campaign, it is not surprising to see that Perales was tabbed by MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra as a potential breakout candidate within the Red Sox’ system heading into 2023.

“The 6-foot-1 right-hander was able to dominate the FCL and Salem in ‘22 because of his mid-90s heater that can touch 99 and features impressive ride at the top of the strike zone,” Dykstra wrote of Perales earlier this week. “[Red Sox director of player development Brian] Abraham mentioned in one extended game that 50 of Perales’ 60 pitches were fastballs, leading to only one hit and seven strikeouts over nine batters faced. He’ll need more than that if he’s going to leap in 2023, but the building blocks are there, especially with his mid-80s slider.”

Perales, who turns 20 next month, is expected to return to Salem for the start of the upcoming season. There, the 6-foot-1, 160-pounder will need to hone in on improving his command of the strike zone as he continues to adjust to more advanced competition in the minors.

“I think number one is slowing things down and really challenging the strike zone with the stuff he has,” Abraham said of Perales. “He has really good stuff. Now, we want him to challenge the strike zone, challenge hitters because it’s really hard to hit what he has. From there, it’s continuing to develop a slider and a changeup so he has a mix.”

(Picture of Luis Perales: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)