Eury Pérez (perezeu02)

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Eury Rafael Pérez

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 6' 8", Weight 220 lb.

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Biographical Information[edit]

Not to be confused with 2010s major league outfielder Eury Pérez, pitcher Eury Pérez was signed by the Miami Marlins as an international amateur free agent on July 2, 2019, out of the Dominican Republic. At 6' 8", he is unusually tall for a player from Latin America.

It took Eury a while to make his professional debut, as international signings who ink their first contract in the summer signing period usually do not get to make their debut until the following year, and in his case that season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. So it was in 2021 that he took the mound for the first time as a professional. Skipping the Dominican Summer League, he went straight to the U.S., in full-season ball no less, starting out with the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Low-A Southeast and then earning a mid-season promotion to the Beloit Snappers of the High-A Central. He did well at both levels, ending up with a record of 3-5, 1.96 in 20 starts. He was limited to 78 innings given his lack of recent mound work, which explains his low total of wins. There was no mistaking the quality of his stuff, however, as he allowed just 43 hits, walked 26 batters and struck out 108. After the season he was named the top prospect in the Low-A Southeast.

In 2022, he was mainly with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the AA Southern League, apart from one rehabilitation outing back in Jupiter. In 17 starts, he went 3-3, 4.08, but again with excellent peripheral numbers. He allowed 63 hits in 77 innings, walked 25 and struck out 110. He was named to the National League team for the 2022 Futures Game, where he pitched a perfect top of the 2nd inning, and was twice named the Pitcher of the Week in the Southern League. All this while he was one of the youngest players in all AA at just 19 years of age.

He was called up to Miami on May 11, 2023, in order to make his major league debut on May 12th as the youngest pitcher in Marlins history, ahead of José Fernandez. He was 3-1, 2.32 after 6 starts for Pensacola and was expected to be told he was being promoted to AAA when he was called for a meeting in his manager's office, but instead Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara appeared on the video call and told him to pack his bags for Miami. In his debut, he allowed 2 runs in 4 2/3 innings while striking out 7, and was not involved in the decision as the Marlins lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 7-4. He was dominant in June, making 5 starts during which he gave up only one run in 28 innings, going 3-0 and pitching at least 5 innings in every outing. After a win on June 25th, his record stood at 5-1, 1.34 in 9 games. He was bombed in a July 1st start against the Atlanta Braves, allowing 6 runs including 2 homers in just one-third of an inning, then was sent back to the minors after one more outing, another loss, with his record at 5-3, 2.36 in 11 games. This was done in order to limit his workload, and he was called back to Miami in early August to help with the Marlins' push for a postseason slot. He finished his rookie season at 5-6, 3.15 in 19 starts, with 108 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings. The Marlins did make it into the postseason, but he was not used as they were swept in two games by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series.

Things took an unfortunate turn for him during spring training in 2024 as he experienced soreness in his elbow on March 14th. At first, it was thought this would go away with some rest, but on April 2nd, he felt some tightness during a bullpen session, and this time the diagnosis was inescapable: he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery, wiping out his entire season before it had started.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Christina De Nicola: "Marlins' No. 1 prospect throws heat in 1st live BP: Emulating Alcantara, Eury Pérez hits 99 mph, impresses opposing hitters", mlb.com, February 20, 2023. [1]
  • Christina De Nicola: "Marlins' top prospect to debut Friday as youngest pitcher in team history", mlb.com, May 10, 2023. [2]
  • Christina De Nicola: "'One of a kind, one of his own': How Eury paved his way from DR to MLB", mlb.com, May 12, 2023. [3]
  • Christina De Nicola: "'He's a big part of our future': Eury K's 7 in debut", mlb.com, May 12th, 2023. [4]
  • Christina De Nicola: "Eury Pérez to have season-ending Tommy John surgery", mlb.com, April 4, 2024. [5]
  • Paige Leckie`: "With another gem, 20-year-old Pérez in a class by himself: Rookie's six stellar innings extend scoreless streak to 21 frames, lower ERA to 1.34", mlb.com, June 25, 2023. [6]
  • Jordan McPherson (Miami Herald): "‘I feel ready’: Marlins’ Eury Perez eyes MLB debut and has a good partner preparing him", Yahoo! News, February 19, 2023. [7]

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