Franklin Pérez

Franklin Eduardo Pérez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 197 lb.

• Born December 6, 1997 in Valencia, Carabobo Venezuela

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Franklin Pérez was first signed by the Houston Astros as an amateur free agent on July 2, 2014 and began his professional career at 17 in 2015. He pitched for the DSL Astros Orange and GCL Astros that year, going a combined 1-4, 4.50 in 16 games (10 starts). In 2016, he spent a full season with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Midwest League, where he was 3-3, 2.84 in 15 games, again making 10 starts. In 66 2/3 innings, he struck out 75 batters. In 2017, he split the season between the Buies Creek Astros and the Corpus Christi Hooks, reaching the AA Texas League before turning 20. He went 6-3, 3.02 in 19 games and had risen near the top of the Astros' list of top pitching prospects when on August 31st he was traded to the Detroit Tigers alongside Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers in return for pitching ace Justin Verlander. The trade was a major factor in the Astros winning their first ever World Series that year.

Franklin's first season in the Tigers organization was marred by injuries as he began the year on the disabled list due to a lat injury. He did not make his debut until late June when he went on a rehabilitation assignment with the GCL Tigers East. He was 0-1, 4.50 in 3 starts before joining the Erie SeaWolves, the team to which he had been destined all along, on July 10th. However, after just 4 starts, during which he went 0-1, 7.94 in 11 1/3 innings, he returned to the DL with shoulder issues and did not pitch again. In spite of what was essentially a lost season, the Tigers added him to their 40-man roster after the season, however, as they feared losing him in the 2018 Rule V Draft. He had been passed by Casey Mize and Matt Manning among top Tigers pitching prospects, but was still highly regarded by the organization.

Further Reading

• Jason Beck: "Tigers' prospect Perez ready to turn page in '19: Plagued by arm injuries in 2018, right-hander now prepared to rise up ranks", mlb.com, January 2, 2019. [1]