The Boston Red Sox’s farm system is loaded with pitching talent, and that’s been on display even after the team was eliminated from the playoffs in early October.
Right-handed flamethrower Luis Perales has been pitching in the Arizona Fall League after missing a season and a half of work due to Tommy John surgery. The 22-year-old Venezuelan-born flamethrower is already on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster, and could have a chance to make his major league debut early in this upcoming season.
As he’s been striking out the world in the AFL, the Red Sox have been taking note of his progress, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow began sending signals about his short-term outlook this week at the Major League Baseball general manager meetings.
Breslow talks Perales’ progress, 2026 role
“The most important thing is getting him back on the field,” Breslow said, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. “We’ve seen elite stuff. Fastball velo to 101 mph, I think, the secondaries that generate a ton of whiffs.
“Big strikeout numbers in the AFL, buffered with big walk numbers as well, which I’m not overly concerned about just given that he’s got a track record of being competitive at throwing strikes and it’s the first time that he’s competing (since surgery).”
Perales has a 10.32 ERA in 11 1/3 innings in the AFL, due in large part to his 11 walks, which weren’t a problem in High-A and Double-A in 2023 and 2024 before the injury. And the fact that he’s struck out 19 batters certainly signals promise.
Because it’s apparent that Perales could help the big-league club early in the season if his command returns, Breslow was also asked about whether the fireballer would be a starter or a reliever, and Breslow’s answer signaled that the youngster should be ready to adapt.
“We’ll want to make sure we keep the path to starting open. If that means in the short term, though, we need to take on some trade-offs (and put him in the bullpen) to help us win big league games, we’d be prepared to do that,” Breslow said, per McCaffrey.
“And I don’t think that those two things are mutually exclusive over the long run, but we’ll prioritize what’s best for the organization in the short term.”
Boston learned this season that pitching depth runs out speedy, so it’s likely Perales will get an extended opportunity this year, no matter what role it may come in.
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