| Fernando Perez | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Perez with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 | |
| Outfielder /Coach | |
| Born: (1983-04-23)April 23, 1983 (age 41) Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 2008, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 2009, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .234 |
| Home runs | 3 |
| Runs batted in | 10 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| As player As coach | |
Fernando Perez (born April 23, 1983) is an AmericanMajor League Baseball (MLB) coach, former professionalbaseballoutfielder, and a writer. He played baseball atColumbia University. He was selected by theTampa Bay Devil Rays in the 7th round of the2004 Major League Baseball draft. He played in MLB for the Rays in 2008 and 2009. In2006, while playing for theVisalia Oaks, Perez led the minor leagues with 123 runs. He played professional baseball until retiring in 2014. In 2021, he became a video coordinator for theSan Francisco Giants.
Born inElizabeth, New Jersey,[1] to Cuban-born parents, Perez lived with his family inBrooklyn, New York, and eventually moved with his family toWest Windsor, New Jersey, where he attended elementary and middle school and playedlittle league.[2][3] Perez played youth travel soccer for the Pirates and the West End Warriors ofMercer County, New Jersey, winners of several state cup championships during his tenure. Perez attended thePeddie School, a private high school inHightstown, New Jersey, where batted .400 for the varsity baseball team.[4][5]
Perez attendedColumbia University where he studied American Studies with an emphasis on creative writing,[6][2] training he later used to become the first Major League Baseball player published inPoetry magazine. Perez is a fan of poetsRobert Creeley andJohn Ashbery, as well as authorTom Miller.[7][8]
He played baseball forColumbia for three years. In 2002, Perezbatted .286/.315/.529 in 70 at bats with three steals without being caught, in 2003 he batted .305/.368/.437 in 151 at bats with 13 steals in 16 attempts, and in 2004 he batted .317/.370/.423 in 123 at bats with 18 steals in 19 attempts and was second team All-Ivy League.[9][10] He was then selected by theTampa Bay Devil Rays in the 7th round (195th overall) of the2004 Major League Baseball draft and signed for a $165,000signing bonus.[11]
Perez played in2004 for theHudson Valley Renegades in the short-seasonNew York–Penn League. In2005 for theSouthwest Michigan Devil Rays Single-A team, he batted .289/.361/.406 in 522 at bats while leading the league with 13 triples and 57 stolen bases (the third-most ever in a season for a Tampa Bay minor leaguer), with 93 runs (2nd in the league), and 58 walks (7th).[12][13] He was named the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays Player of the Year.[14]
In2006 for theVisalia Oaks, Perez led the league with 123 runs (which also led the minor leagues, and set the Devil Rays' minor league record) and 9 triples.[12] He batted .307/.398/.397 in 541 at bats with 33 stolen bases (4th in the league), 78 walks (2nd), and 8 sacrifice hits (5th).[14][15] He was named the team MVP.[14]
In2007 for theMontgomery Biscuits, he batted .308(9th in the league)/.423(3rd)/.481 in 393 at bats, with 84 runs (2nd), 10 triples (2nd), 32 stolen bases (4th; a team record), 76 walks (3rd).[16][2][15] Perez was named aSouthern League Post-Season All-Star and aBaseball America Double-A All-Star.[17]
Perez was playing for the Triple-ADurham Bulls in2008 (for whom he batted .288/.361/.393 in 514 at bats with 86 runs (2nd in the league), 11 triples (2nd), 43 stolen bases (3rd), and 58 walks (8th)) when he was called up to the majors on August 31.[18] From April 4-October 4, 2007, he wrote a journal for milb.com.[19]
In his five season in the minors through 2008, Perez batted .289 with a .403 slugging percentage.
Perez was called up by theTampa Bay Rays on August 31, 2008. In his first major league at bat, on September 5, Perez recorded a single offToronto Blue Jays closerB. J. Ryan.[20] His first major league home run came in front of his hometown fans on September 14, atYankee Stadium. In 60 at bats, he batted .250/.348/.433 with five steals in five attempts.[21]
He contributed to the Rays reaching their firstWorld Series by scoring the winning run as apinch runner in Game 2 of theALCS against theBoston Red Sox, tagging at third and scoring on a short fly ball byB. J. Upton in the bottom of the 11th inning.
During 2009spring training, Perez injured his wrist on March 10 during a game against theToronto Blue Jays after trying to make a diving catch. He left the game, and missed significant time during the2009 season.[2]
He was activated from thedisabled list and was called up in the roster expansions and filled in for the injured B. J. Upton in September. Perez was one of sixIvy Leaguers on major league rosters at the beginning of the 2009 season.[22]
On defense, in his major league career he played 23 games in center field, 13 games in left field, and 3 games in right field, and had a 1.000 fielding percentage.[23]
Perez spent the 2010 season with the Triple-A Durham Bulls.[23]
On January 8, 2011, Perez was traded to theChicago Cubs withMatt Garza and minor league pitcherZac Rosscup forHak-Ju Lee,Brandon Guyer,Robinson Chirinos,Chris Archer, and Cubs outfielderSam Fuld.[24][25] He was released on July 8, after hitting .238 and stealing 17 bases in 19 attempts for the AAAIowa Cubs and seeing no time in the majors in 2011.[26]
Perez signed a minor league contract with theNew York Mets on July 18, 2011, and was assigned to the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons.[27]
Perez became afree agent after the 2011 season and did not sign with any team, eventually taking the 2012 season off.
In 2013, he played for theSugar Land Skeeters and theLancaster Barnstormers of the independentAtlantic League.[23] He retired from baseball in 2014.[28]
Ahead of the 2021 season, Perez was hired by theSan Francisco Giants as a video coach, and was the director of video coaching until 2024.[29][11] Perez posted on hisLinkedIn profile that he became theDetroit Tigers' Coordinator of Content and Learning starting in January 2025.[30]
While injured during the 2009 season, Perez wrote a baseballblog forThe New York Times.[31][2]
In 2015, Perez signed on as a baseball analyst with MLB.com.[28] Perez wrote a column forVice Sports in 2016 and 2017.[32] He also made videos forBleacher Report onChampions League soccer.[33]