Eury Pérez growing into complete pitcher for Miami Marlins
When Eury Pérez signed with the Miami Marlins in 2019, the right-handed pitcher was 16 years old, four inches shorter and roughly 45 pounds lighter.
He was a long-limbed bet from the Dominican Republic whose body still had almost as much developing to do as his pitches.
Then, the pandemic delayed his professional debut.
But while baseball stopped, Pérez kept growing.
By the time he reached the big leagues at 20 years old, Pérez had sprouted to 6-foot-8 and filled out to 220 pounds, looking as much like an NBA small forward as he did a pitcher.
Now, just more than three years removed from becoming the youngest pitcher to debut in Marlins history, the most encouraging part for Miami is that the 23-year-old still has plenty of growing left to do.
“He’s still learning a lot, and that’s the most exciting part,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “We’re seeing a very talented player who is getting much better in all facets.”
That continued growth has become especially apparent since Pérez returned from the injured list. During the past 30 days, he has posted a 1.57 ERA, one of the best stretches of his young career.
Learning to manage the moment
The results haven’t been the only encouraging part.
During his near-perfect outing against the Athletics on July 5, the Dominican native repeatedly worked through deep counts without allowing the at-bats to speed him up.
He showed more patience between pitches, kept his delivery consistent even as the counts grew deeper and retired all 21 batters he faced through seven innings.
“I’ve seen him mature as a starting pitcher as this season has moved along,” McCullough said. “He’s managing his own emotions much better and filling up the zone much more consistently. There are less stretches where he sprays and misfires.
Then, against Cleveland, Pérez encountered almost the exact opposite situation.
After loading the bases with nobody out in the first inning, he escaped without allowing a run, recording a strikeout before setting up an inning-ending ground-ball double play.
Rather than rushing his way out of trouble, Pérez adjusted by leaning more heavily on his sinker than his four-seam fastball during the inning.
“It’s a pitch that has been helping me a lot through the first half of the season,” Pérez said. “When you’re having a difficult inning, all you need to do is focus and perform to your fullest potential. Make sure you approach it with the best pitches that you have to minimize the damage.”
A centerpiece in the making
With Pérez under club control through 2029 and continuing to climb, it might not be long before Miami begins fielding significant trade interest in the promising young pitcher.
But if the Marlins keep him at the center of their plans, Pérez could become the defining piece of a rotation that already features former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara and All-Star Max Meyer.
“You can tell the package is starting to come together,” McCullough said. “Since he’s come back from that IL stint, he’s done nothing but deliver quality outings. We’ve seen the four-seam and the two-seam, and now his breaking ball is continuing to trend. You can tell the package is starting to come together.”
The next step is establishing himself as a complete starter that is capable of turning flashes of dominance into consistent success over a full season.
For now, Pérez is trying to keep the process as simple as possible.
“You’ve got to keep smiling on the mound. Attack the zone and fun, that’s what i’ve been doing,” Perez said. “You can’t add extra pressure to yourself during games.”