Perez off to rocky start: Rangers starting pitcher prospect Martin Perez has lost his last two starts at Triple-A Round Rock, which included Saturday when he allowed five runs on six hits and five walks in five innings. Perez, who ranked 31st on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list, is 1-2 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in four starts. He also has 15 strikeouts and 11 walks in 22 1/3 innings. (Updated 04/23/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/24/12).
Fantasy Analysis
For being so highly-rated, Perez owns a 4.21 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in the minors. He's also walking 3.8 batters per nine innings. But the scouts love this lefty's makeup. He has the potential for three above-average pitches -- fastball, changeup and curveball. It's just Perez's command issues have kept him from showcasing his dominant stuff from start to start. Perez is on the team's 40-man roster, so he could debut in 2012. It's just that the Rangers have a deep rotation, so Perez might have to begin his career in the bullpen. Perez has more value as a long-term Fantasy keeper. (Updated 04/23/2012).
12/21/2011 05:14 Highlighting top pitcher prospects for 2012
Projecting players is no easy task. Projecting pitching prospects, though, might be the most daunting. A lot of factors need to be discussed, and the unknowns are palpable. Scott White breaks down his top 25 pitching prospects for 2012.
Another year, another disappointing performance from the pitcher whose stuff is apparently so good that scouts are willing to grant him infinite leeway. Martin Perez has been a top prospect since the Rangers first signed him as a teenager in 2007, and though he has struggled with ERAs on the wrong side of 4.00 over the last two seasons, the Rangers haven't hesitated to push him through the system. Just when he finally seemed to get comfortable at Double-A last season, posting a 3.16 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 17 appearances, they bumped him up to Triple-A, where he fittingly produced a 6.43 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in 10 appearances. The extreme highs and lows suggest the Rangers are rushing Perez, which makes little sense considering their surplus of starting pitchers at the major-league level and his 21 years of age. From a pure stuff standpoint, Perez still rates as a top prospect, but you have to wonder if the hasty promotions have hindered his development. He's still worth stashing in long-term keeper leagues even if he has lost some of his luster, but unless he has a sudden breakthrough at Triple-A, he likely won't reach the majors until 2013. (Updated 2/9/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start