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| Roberto Perez (Photo: IPI) |
Perez, who turns 23-years old next week, hit just .225 with 2 HR, 30 RBI and .675 OPS in 94 games for High-A Kinston this past year. He played in the Arizona Fall League earlier this offseason and in 16 games hit .226 with 4 HR, 11 RBI and .854 OPS. He is currently participating in winter ball out in Puerto Rico, but has played in just two games and is 2-for-7 at the plate with a walk.
“They are sending me here to work on my hitting,” Perez said about his offseason plan in a recent interview for the IPI. “They want me to stay on top of the competition. I have been hitting the ball well this offseason hitting it hard but right at people. I am just trying to do the same thing every day.”
Perez had some issues with injuries in the past year which hindered his development some at the plate. Last offseason he sprained his rotator cuff playing in Puerto Rico, and in the middle of this past season he suffered an oblique strain that affected him for some time.
Perez has been an inconsistent hitter over his minor league career. In three seasons he is a career .242 hitter and owns a .723 OPS. In his last two seasons at Low-A Lake County (.217) and High-A Kinston (.225) he has really struggled at the plate with his hitting, but thanks to 167 walks in his career he has a very good career .373 on-base percentage.
The walks are very good to see, but as Perez moves up the minor league ladder it will get tougher to draw them. He has a tendency to take too many pitches, a lot of them that are good pitches to hit, so getting him to be more aggressive at the plate is a goal the Indians have set for him this offseason and next season.
The Indians are very happy with his catching skills, but at this point it is all about jumpstarting his bat. He is just having a hard time finding something that works and is unsure of himself at the plate. If his passiveness at the plate can be replaced with a little more aggression and his work ethic improves, some improvement may result.
“Right now I am trying to figure things out by myself,” Perez said. “I need to find something comfortable and get back to what I was doing in Puerto Rico last year. I am just trying to be me and do my routine every day and stay on top of my hitting. My defense is there, but my hitting is up and down so I just want to get it consistent.”
Behind the plate there are a lot of things to like about Perez. If he did not have to hit he could play in the big leagues right now as a backup catcher. He has the ability to control a running game with his quick, powerful, accurate right arm, and he displays very good abilities with his leadership, calling games, receiving, blocking, and handling a pitching staff.
Even though most of the focus has been on improving his performance at the plate, Perez believes he improved as a defender this past year.
“I believe I got better calling games,” Perez said. “My receiving was good as I only had four passed balls, and two of those were to [Steven] Wright and his knuckleball. I worked on calling games by looking at hitters and discussing them with the pitchers, so it worked out for me and I am happy about it.”
2012 is shaping up to be a big year for Perez. He is expected to be a part of the Indians Winter Development Program in January, and then play at Double-A Akron next year where his defense and approach at the plate will really be tested.
Perez has to show improvement at the plate to avoid being cast off as a non-prospect and just another good defensive catcher in the upper levels of the minor leagues that can’t hit. There are lots of catchers like up and down Triple-A and Double-A rosters all around baseball. If the bat ever comes for him where he hits just a little, he is going to be a legit Major League catching option for the Indians; however, until he makes the necessary adjustments at the plate his future is limited.
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3 comments:
Harry Walker coached hitters 45 years ago to slap the ball. (Pittsburgh)
Nate Colbert got away from Walker and had a great, power year.
Then he had an OK year. Then he was finished. (Knocked Walker)
Manny Mota set pinch-hitting records after being trained by Walker.
Matty Alou became an excellent, .300 hitter.
Hitting coaches today have to go through agents, fathers, lawyers, etc.
to offer advice.
There is no way a catcher, excellent defensively, possessing outstanding eye-hand coordination, should ever have trouble hitting .270-.280.
Hitters swing like softball players did in the 50's & 60's.
They hit off the back foot, and hitch like slow-pitch, 50-yr. olds.
Tony,
Nice write-up. You're comment regarding Perez's excessive patience at the plate is intriguing. It seems to me that if he modifies his approach as you suggest, he might be actually put himself in the position to swing at better pitches, which in turn could result in better contact and a higher batting average.
Easier said than done, of course, but it leaves me with some optimism regarding Perez's potential as a hitter.
The comment regarding Perez's work ethic was interesting. Reading in between the lines, it suggests that Perez has lacked some motivation. But, it also leaves open the possibility of improvement down the road if his attitude and approach to the game changes.
Yeah, there are some things with his hitting I will share in more detail in his 2012 scouting report. But the over-passiveness (is that a word?) is a problem as he lets too many good pitches go. An example that sometimes drawing walks is not always a sign of a good approach....you still have to swing at good pitches (or swing at them when offered).
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