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Physical Description: Average,
athletic frame. Has some projection left and should add strength
as he matures.
Mechanics: Throws from a
high three-quarters arm slot from the first base side of the
rubber. Steps backwards toward first base before a
medium-to-high leg kick prior to delivery. Finishes off-balance
towards first base, with a pronounced leg kick up on his
follow-through. Makes himself small when coming forward while
keeping his arm high. Very quick arm with short arm action and a
slight stab behind. Moderate arm effort.
Fastball: 95-98 mph. Tops out at 99 mph. Pitch averages
just under 20 inches of induced vertical break, which allows it
to play up in the zone with carry and ride to induce swinging
strikes. Type of fastball shape teams look for because it leads
to the ability to miss bats up in the zone. Command and control
need substantial work; will leave the pitch in the middle of the
zone too often where it is straight and very hittable. Used to
rely more heavily on his fastball, but cut down its usage
significantly in 2024 prior to injury, allowing the pitch to
play even better. Potential plus-plus offering.
Cutter: 88-92 mph. Short, horizontal break. Greatly
improved in 2024 and become a viable part of his arsenal that he
would use early to get ahead and generate weak contact. Plays
well off his other pitches and flashed bat-missing ability.
Potential average offering.
Slider:
83-85 mph. 11-to-5 shape. Advanced for his age. Good feel for
spin. Gets over the pitch and can snap it off. Can locate in the
zone or out of the zone to induce swinging strikes. Looks a lot
like a curveball, but he calls it a slider. Potential
above-average offering.
Splitter: 85-88
mph. Evolved from his changeup and he calls it a splitter even
though it has a higher spin rate and looks like a changeup at
times. Will show premium bat-missing ability and can pull the
string on it with late fading/dropping action. Bottom really
falls out of the pitch when he throws it well. Primarily used
against left-handed hitters. Potential plus offering.
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Career Notes:
Was not a highly-touted amateur prospect out of Venezuela. Began
to show much higher promise after signing, particularly in the
Tricky League in the summer of 2019. Emerged quickly as a
prospect to follow. Was limited to one game due to injuries in
2021. Organization heavily monitored his workload in 2022,
limiting him to no more than three innings per start. Still
broke out and rose quickly into the SoxProspects top 20 by the
end of the season. Earned a promotion to Salem following the end
of the 2022 FCL season. Was set to participate in the 2022 Fall
Performance Program that was canceled due to Hurricane Ian. Was
added to the 40-man roster in November 2023 to protect him from
selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Participated in the Red Sox
Rookie Development Program in January 2024. Tore the UCL in his
pitching elbow in June 2024 and underwent Tommy John surgery in
late June. Missed the entire second half of 2024 and likely will
miss most of 2025 as well, if not the entire season. Had debuted
in Baseball America’s Top 100 just before suffering the injury.
Summation: Potential mid-rotation starter.
Ceiling of a number two starter. If he has to move to the
bullpen, could be a high-leverage reliever with premium
bat-missing ability. Tommy John surgery has clouded his future.
Was seen as a wide-variance arm prior to his injury with a high
ceiling and low floor, and the injury has made that range of
outcomes even larger. Prior to his injury, he would show four at
least average pitches, with two grading out as at least plus.
Made substantial adjustments to his arsenal in 2024,
deemphasizing his fastball and using his cutter to get ahead and
get quick outs. This allowed him to be more efficient and pitch
deeper into games, which alleviated some concerns about him
having to move to the bullpen. Improved cutter also allowed his
other pitches to play up, especially his fastball and splitter,
which both showed premium bat-missing ability. Has the best raw
stuff of any arm in the system and was identified early on in
2022 as the top pitching prospect in the Florida Complex League.
Arsenal has evolved, but remains to be seen what it will look
like when he returns.
Links
State of the System: Low Minors Pitchers (4.2.20)
Countdown to Spring Training (3.8.2023)
Spring Training
Video (3.19.2023)
Notes from the Field: Luis Perales and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
(4.26.23)
Scouting Scratch: The changes that unlocked Luis Perales'
potential (5.31.24) |
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