Luis Perales building on his 2022 campaign

Photo Courtesy: Danielle DiBenedetto of Salem Red Sox

Over the last year, Luis Perales has become one of the most talked about prospects in the Red Sox’s system. During the 2022 campaign, the 20-year-old posted a 1.77 ERA in 13 games. As a result, he entered this season with expectations with more eyes on him than ever before. After a slow start, he has shown why excitement has been building every time he takes the mound.

In his last five starts, the Venezuelan native has only allowed six earned runs and struck out 34 batters. During that stretch, the Perales has kept hitters off balance and posted a 1.36 ERA in June. As the innings add up, the 20-year-old is rediscovering his 2022 form.

While Perales has a 3.95 ERA on the season, that does not accurately show how good he’s been. At the end of April, he had a 6.75 ERA, and opponents were hitting .333 against him. Since the calendar flipped to May, Perales has been a different player and has seen his ERA decrease by nearly three runs with no signs of slowing down.

For the Red Sox, Perales’ recent success has been a welcoming sign. He has the potential to be a No. 3 starter and should only improve. The talented right-hander possesses a fastball that tops out at 99 miles per hour and a slider that has the potential to be a plus pitch. With his MLB debut projected to come in 2026, Perales has plenty of time to master his off-speed pitches.

Although the 2023 campaign is far from over, Perales is a player to watch. If his success continues, a promotion to Double-A could be on the horizon. The Red Sox’s 12th-best prospect has limited hard contact and recently made national headlines. Perales was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 12-18

With Perales steadily moving through the system, the Red Sox have a bright future. Over the last few weeks, he has been nearly unhittable and showed that last season was no fluke.

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