Rafael Pérez

Note: This is the page for 2000s major league pitcher Rafael Perez. For others with the same name please click here.

Rafael Jerome Perez

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut April 20, 2006
• Final Game April 25, 2012
• Born May 15, 1982 in Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Rafael Perez was signed by Cleveland Indians scout Rene Gayo in 2002. He played for the DSL Indians 1 that year before coming stateside in 2003.

He made his major league debut early in the 2006 season and pitched for the Indians every year until 2012. He was exclusively a reliever in the major leagues, making 70 or more appearances in three of those seasons - 2008, 2010 and 2011 and making a total of 338 appearances in 7 seasons. He was used primarily in middle relief and picked up only 3 saves over that span, but his record was a solid 21-12, thanks in large part to back-to-back seasons of 6-1 and 5-2 in 2010 and 2011. He had a composite 3.64 ERA, including an outstanding 1.78 in 2007. In fact, apart from a blip in 2009 when his ERA ballooned to 7.31 in 54 games, he constantly maintained decent ERAs. For almost his entire major league career, he formed a lefty/righty duo in the Indians' bullpen with the unrelated Chris Perez.

He pitched for the Indians in the 2007 postseason, picking up a win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the ALDS. However, he was hit hard by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS, as he gave up 8 runs on 7 hits in only one inning of work over three outings.

Perez was the only pitcher to appear for the Dominican Republic in all three of their games in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He allowed no hits or walks while striking out 3 in 3 innings.