Player: Delvin Perez
Position: SS
DOB: November 24, 1998 (17 years old)
Height/Weight: 6’3″, 165 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: International Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico)
College Commitment: None
Background
Last June, a total of seven shortstops were selected in the first round of the draft.
Dansby Swanson (Vanderbilt), Alex Bregman (LSU) and Brendan Rodgers (Lake Mary HS) were the first three players off the board, followed by Kevin Newman (Arizona, No. 19 overall), Richie Martin (Florida, No. 20 overall), Kyle Holder (San Diego, No. 30 overall) and Ryan Mountcastle (Paul J. Hagerty HS, No. 36 overall).
This year, Delvin Perez appeared to be the only lock at the position to go in the first round.
In fact, Wisconsin high schooler Gavin Lux and Florida Atlantic standout C.J. Chatham looked like the only other threats to go inside the first 50 picks.
However, that all changed when a report surfaced Tuesday, per John Manuel and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, that Perez had tested positive for “an undisclosed performance enhancer” in his predraft drug test.
Jon Heyman, writing for Today’s Knuckleball and citing sources, was the first to report the failed test.
The failed test doesn’t affect his ability to be selected in the draft but raises some obvious red flags for any team considering him with an early selection.
He’s still an elite talent, though, and if this is in fact just an isolated incident and he develops into the player some expect him to become, he could wind up being an absolute steal.
Pick Analysis
When it comes to evaluating prep shortstops, the biggest question is always whether they have the defensive skill set to remain at the position long-term.
That doesn’t appear to be a concern with Perez.
“His defense is obviously there,” one scout told Alyson Footer of MLB.com. “It’ll take time to see how much he hits. It’s the hardest thing to project, because it’s the hardest thing to do. But he’s where he needs to be with his speed and defense.”
Baseball America offered up a more complete scouting report in its predraft report, ranking Perez as the No. 8 prospect in the class:
There are few questions about Perez’s ability to stay at shortstop; he shows first-step quickness, range to both sides, a plus or better arm, athleticism and smooth infield actions. He has excellent instincts and can make highlight reel plays look easy, though his quick feet and powerful arm can be difficult for him to control at times.
Perez is not as advanced offensively. He is a plus runner with excellent bat speed and can hit blistering line drives, but his pitch recognition and plate discipline will need to improve to allow him to make consistent contact. As a result, he is one of the biggest risk-reward players in the class.
This came before the failed test, so his standing as a risk-reward pick has only been magnified. Still, it’s clear that the 17-year-old Perez has the tools scouts look for in an early shortstop selection.
Pro Comparison: Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor has developed into a budding superstar for the Cleveland Indians, but he was not always a sure thing to make the sort of impact he has at the plate.
The No. 8 pick in the 2011 draft, Lindor was drafted on the strength of his plus-plus defensive tools and his overall athleticism. There was plenty of offensive potential to project on, but that part of his game was still raw, and his eventual ceiling was somewhat unclear.
After steadily improving at the plate as he worked his way through the minors, Lindor burst on the scene last year with a .313/.353/.482 line and 38 extra-base hits in 438 plate appearances to finish second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and post a 4.6 WAR, per Baseball-Reference.com.
He’s backed up that breakout performance with another strong showing at the plate here in 2016, and in the process has quickly emerged as one of the top shortstops in the league.
Lindor is probably a best-case scenario for what Perez can develop into, but the similarities between where the two players were at in their respective development on draft day are tough to ignore.
Projection: Starting shortstop, Gold Glove-caliber defender
Major League ETA: late 2021
Chances of Signing: 99 percent
Considering he doesn’t have a college commitment, it seems Perez is set to begin his pro career regardless of his draft position.
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