Red Sox’s youngest player (born in 2003) packs ‘power’ into smaller frame

The Red Sox now have two players on their 40-man roster who were born in the 21st century after adding Luis Perales and Wikelman Gonzalez on Nov. 14.

Boston selected both Perales and Gonzalez, their top two pitching prospects, to protect them from being available to other clubs in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

The 20-year-old Perales, the youngest player on the 40-man roster, was born in 2003. The 21-year-old Gonzalez was born in 2002. Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela were born in 2000 but Jan. 1, 2001 officially marked the beginning of the 21st century.

The Red Sox protecting Perales shows just how highly they think of him considering he hasn’t pitched above High-A Greenville where he made just eight starts (4.95 ERA) after a late-season promotion in 2023. He has pitched only 127 ⅓ innings total in professional baseball but the Red Sox felt it was too risky to leave him unprotected.

The Red Sox took a risk when they left Gonzalez unprotected in his first year of Rule 5 Draft eligibility last offseason. Back then, Gonzalez was in a similar spot to Perales now. Gonzalez had never pitched above High A where he had made only four starts (2.65 ERA).

Fortunately for the Red Sox, Gonzalez went undrafted last December. He remained in Boston’s system and won the 2023 Red Sox minor league Starting Pitcher of the Year award. The Sox were not willing to take the same risk again this year with Perales.

At this point, Perales is the player on the 40-man roster furthest from the big leagues. Both MLB Pipeline and SoxProspects.com list 2026 as his estimated time of arrival in the majors.

Everyone else on Boston’s 40-man roster has at least played in Double A. Perales and Gonzalez actually are the only two members of the 40-man who have never appeared in a major league game.

“To be able to see the power that he packs in that small frame, short frame, that rise of his fastball, it’s almost like you’re amazed to see that coming out of him,” Greenville manager Iggy Suarez said about Perales who is listed at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds.

Baseball America ranks Perales’ fastball the best in the system. Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, who’s known for his dominant fastball with ride, is Perales’ favorite pitcher to watch. Perales told MassLive that the way Verlander uses his fastball is the way he tries to use his.

“He’s a hard worker that’s just learning how to go through the grind of a season,” Suarez said. “You see these young players and young pitchers coming in like Perales where it’s like, man, he knows he has the stuff. Now he’s just gotta learn to manage himself throughout the year. Because as you start going up levels, you need to start learning what works for you and how you work.

“(Greenville pitching coach Bob Kipper) is huge on that,” Suarez added. “He’s like, ‘Look, man. You’ve got the stuff. You’ve got to learn how to work.’ Not to stay that he doesn’t know how to work but a lot of these guys don’t because they’ve never done it. They’ve never gone through it before. Now it’s like, ‘This is what’s going to get you to the big leagues. You have the stuff to get there. Now it’s the work and to be able to stay consistent.’”

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Perales hasn’t really been through it yet. He has appeared in just 35 games (made 33 starts) in his minor league career. He still has much to learn about his routine between starts, making in-game adjustments and what makes him most effective on the mound.

Perales throws a cutter, slider and changeup in addition to his fastball that reaches 98 mph. He considers his slider — which has horizontal movement — his best secondary pitch. The Red Sox wanted him to throw his secondary pitches more often this season.

“You’re going to get punched in the mouth a couple times,” Suarez said. “It’s how you react and how you keep working. That’s one thing to kind of be able to see — that growth from when he first got to us, having a little bit of success and then struggling. It’s like, ‘OK, let’s see what you’re made of now.’”

Perales certainly showed glimpses of his potential at Greenville, including striking out 10 batters in 5 scoreless innings in his third start for the Drive (Aug. 2 vs. Rome) and allowing just one run in 5 innings in his first start (July 21 vs. Asheville). But he also struggled at times, allowing five earned runs in two different starts.

“I think that’s the best part for a coaching staff is to be able to see those little growing moments and the growing pains they go through and know how much better they’ll be when they get through it,” Suarez said.