22
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Fernando Perez
- Vancouver Canadians - A+
- RHP
Collapse Explore Scouting Report
- Bats: R / Throws: R
- Age: 22
- Rule 5 Eligible: After 2026 Season
- Acquisition Method: International Signing
Scouting Report
Pre-2025 Scouting Report
The 20-year old Nicaraguan had an excellent first season in full-season professional baseball, earning a spot in the MLB All-Star Futures Game as well as being named MLB Pipeline's Pitching Prospect of the Year for the Blue Jays, by virtue of being one of the only top pitching prospects in the organization that was able to stay healthy all year. Coming from humble beginnings, Perez only signed for a $10,000 signing bonus in 2022, and yet he's been one of the most surprising young arms in the Jays' farm system. He's had multiple feats already in his short career, pitching in a combined no-hitter against the Florida Complex League Phillies in 2023, as well as an immaculate inning against the Dayton Tortugas, the Cincinnati Reds Low-A affiliate. He pitched to a 4.06 ERA with a 3.47 FIP last season, but slowed down as the season drew to a close as he exceeded his career-high in innings by more than 30, and was shut down in early August.
The 6ft 3in, 170 lbs righty makes use of a solid four-pitch mix, with his most used pitch being a fastball that sits 92-93 mph, topping out at 95 mph, with a 16.6 induced Vertical Break and a 2405 rpm spin rate. He also throws a low-80s slider that some have called a cutter, high-70s curveball, as well as a low-80s changeup that he threw as his main pitch against lefties. The changeup was his best pitch at generating whiffs by far, with a 42.2% whiff rate, but he still has inconsistencies with his delivery. None of his secondary offerings are standout at his current stage of development, as most of them need refinement, but the outlook for his arsenal is that they could have average potential.
Blue Jays Video
You can view prospects 20-16, as voted on by the Jays Centre community, here. The list in full so far:
20. Dahian Santos, RHP, 21, Double-A, New Hampshire Fisher Cats
19. Eddinson Paulino, INF, 22, Double-A, New Hampshire Fisher Cats
18. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, 22, High-A, Vancouver Canadians
17. Enmanuel Bonilla, OF, 19, Complex League
16. Brandon Barriera, LHP, 20, Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Without further ado, let's jump into the five best prospects in the Jays' system who just missed the cut on being in the top ten!
#15: LHP Johnny King, 18, Complex League
Johnny King was the third-round pick for the Jays in the 2024 draft, and has currently yet to throw a pitch in professional baseball. King was one of the youngest players selected in his class, being only ten days from turning 18 at the time on draft day. King was the 124th ranked draft prospect according to MLB Pipeline and the 120th to Baseball America. King is listed at 6ft 4in and 210 pounds, showing really good athleticism to go along with his big frame, having been the best hitter on his high school team.
The big lefty throws from a lower three-quarters arm slot, and he currently throws 4 pitches. King sits in the 91-93 mph range with his fastball, but has topped out at 95 mph, with two high-spin breaking ball offerings being a mid-70s curveball and a tighter low-80s slurve. According to Baseball America, both breaking balls have spin rates in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range. He has a changeup that is still developing and that he doesn’t have the best feel for yet.
His arm action has been scrutinized, and there are some real concerns about whether his delivery is easily repeatable which currently puts a limit on his potential command and gives him ample reliever risk. He also throws with a lot of effort, which is also a possible limiting factor. But, if he is able to clean up his arm action and throw strikes at a reasonable rate, he’ll have mid-rotation potential.
The Jays have found a good amount of success with young pitchers with a good feel for spin and that have projectability, solid athleticism, and funky arm angles, so they’re hoping to repeat that with King. He’ll hopefully add velocity and sharper stuff as he ages up, while trying to figure out a mechanical change that could help him throw strikes on a more consistent basis. As King is coming out of high school, he’ll start off the season in the Florida Complex League.
#14: INF Will Wagner, 26, Toronto Blue Jays
The son of recently inducted Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner did not inherit his father's ability to strike people out, but instead has a knack for not striking out at all instead. Wagner was acquired in the 2024 trade deadline, along with Jake Bloss, and Joey Loperfido in the Yusei Kikuchi deal.
Wagner, quite simply put, can just flat out hit. He's been a solidly above-average hitter in each of his seasons as a professional baseball player, excelling in putting the ball in play while limiting strikeouts and drawing walks. He has a more passive approach, looking for pitches to hit without chasing much, as in Triple-A, he had a Swing% of only 39.9%, while chasing only 23.8% of the time. However, his ability to make contact when he did choose to swing was great, with a Zone-Contact% of 93.8%, which was in the 97th percentile. Interestingly, in his cup of coffee in the majors with the Jays (before he went down with a season ending hamstring injury), he was less patient, increasing his swing rate by 7%, as well as chasing 6.6% more. His contact rates for swings in the zone remained just as good, but he may have needed an adjustment to deal with more polished major league pitching and sequencing. Still, it didn’t stop him from being the first Blue Jays rookie to ever have a 5-hit game against the Twins in August.
Wagner has very limited in-game power, although he had respectable exit velocities with an 88.1 mph Average Exit Velocity in Triple-A, as well as a 103.7 mph (90th percentile) Max EV. It is worth noting that Wagner was hitting the ball harder in the majors, up to a 90.6 mph EV and a 104.6 mph (90th percentile) Max EV. The main issue regarding his power potential is that he rarely pulls or lifts the ball, with more of an all-fields approach while also running a 49.0% ground ball rate. His ability to make good, solid contact on swings in the zone, as well as his patented patient approach should still result in him being a good hitter, but may limit his offensive potential without too many extra-base hits or home runs.
Defensively, there are concerns about Wagner's defense, with the Astros playing him more at first base than they did at second base in 2024. In the limited sample size in the majors, Wagner had one Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and one Outs Above Average (OAA) in 172 innings played, but that's too small of a sample size to say that he can be an average defender at second. However, the Jays just traded for one of the best second base defenders in Andres Gimenez, so Wagner is unlikely to see much playing time at second.
With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. occupying first base, Wagner may find it difficult to find a position on the field to play. He has had minor league experience at the hot corner, but his arm strength was only in the 18th percentile and his lack of range may prove difficult to contend with now that Bo Bichette is back after a lost season. It is more likely that Wagner sees more DH time. Wagner's limited defensive profile and lack of power is what's most likely going to prevent him from being a full-time starter, but the Jays are definitely going to try to find a way to add his bat to the lineup, especially against righties.
#13: RHP Fernando Perez, 20, Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays
The 20-year old Nicaraguan had an excellent first season in full-season professional baseball, earning a spot in the MLB All-Star Futures Game as well as being named MLB Pipeline's Pitching Prospect of the Year for the Blue Jays, by virtue of being one of the only top pitching prospects in the organization that was able to stay healthy all year. Coming from humble beginnings, Perez only signed for a $10,000 signing bonus in 2022, and yet he's been one of the most surprising young arms in the Jays' farm system. He's had multiple feats already in his short career, pitching in a combined no-hitter against the Florida Complex League Phillies in 2023, as well as an immaculate inning against the Dayton Tortugas, the Cincinnati Reds Low-A affiliate. He pitched to a 4.06 ERA with a 3.47 FIP last season, but slowed down as the season drew to a close as he exceeded his career-high in innings by more than 30, and was shut down in early August.
The 6ft 3in, 170 lbs righty makes use of a solid four-pitch mix, with his most used pitch being a fastball that sits 92-93 mph, topping out at 95 mph, with a 16.6 induced Vertical Break and a 2405 rpm spin rate. He also throws a low-80s slider that some have called a cutter, high-70s curveball, as well as a low-80s changeup that he threw as his main pitch against lefties. The changeup was his best pitch at generating whiffs by far, with a 42.2% whiff rate, but he still has inconsistencies with his delivery. None of his secondary offerings are standout at his current stage of development, as most of them need refinement, but the outlook for his arsenal is that they could have average potential.
Perez's best trait is his pitchability, being able to command his pitches well, having a 100th percentile in-zone rate in Low-A Dunedin and a 74th percentile BB%. He's very capable of mixing his pitches and keeping hitters off-balanced despite his mediocre stuff due to having a strong feel for all of his pitches.
Being only 20, if Perez is able to add more strength to gain more velocity, or if there is further refinement of his arsenal, there is still a decent amount of projection to be had as he advances through the minors. If he manages to be able to do both, there's a very solid chance he can move up the rankings, but currently it seems more likely that he'll be a No. 5 starter at his full potential. If he stays healthy, that could even possibly be his floor. It’s likely that Perez will get promoted to Vancouver early in the 2025 season where he’ll hopefully continue to progress.
- Simon Li
Monthly Splits
| Split | Team | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | SVO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HB | BB | IBB | SO | AVG | WHIP | GO/AO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Outs | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| Two Outs | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 2 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .286 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
| Runners at 1st & 2nd | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 2 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .667 | 9.00 | -.-- |
| One Out | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 2 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .333 | 3.00 | 0.25 |
| Ahead in Count | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.1 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | 0.75 | 0.00 |
| Starter | NH | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| Batting Seventh | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 6.00 | 1.00 |
| Runners at 1st & 3rd | NH | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Batting Sixth | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.33 |
| Batting Ninth | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | 3.00 | -.-- |
| Bases Loaded | NH | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Batting Eighth | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6.00 | -.-- |
| On Grass | NH | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| Day Games | NH | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| First Inning | NH | -- | -- | 13.50 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .167 | 2.00 | 0.20 |
| Second Inning | NH | -- | -- | 13.50 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | .286 | 3.00 | 0.50 |
| Away Games | NH | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| Runner at 3rd | NH | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.0 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | -.-- | -.-- |
| Behind in Count | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4.0 | 2 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | .167 | 2.50 | 0.29 |
| Runner at 2nd | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.0 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 0.00 | -.-- |
| Leading Off Inning | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.2 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 4.50 | 1.00 |
| April | NH | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| Runners at 2nd & 3rd | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.0 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Scoring Position | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3.0 | 2 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .250 | 1.33 | 0.00 |
| Third Inning | NH | -- | -- | 0.00 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .167 | 1.00 | 0.33 |
| vs Right | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3.0 | 3 | -- | -- | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | .273 | 2.67 | 0.17 |
| Runner at 1st | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .143 | 1.50 | 0.20 |
| Bases Empty | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .250 | 5.00 | 2.00 |
| vs Left | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .125 | 1.33 | 0.50 |
| Batting Third | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | -.-- | -.-- |
| Batting Second | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.50 |
| Batting Fifth | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Batting Fourth | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.2 | 1 | -- | -- | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
| Batting First | NH | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.1 | 0 | -- | -- | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 6.00 | -.-- |
| First Half | NH | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| Season | Team | LG | Level | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | HLD | SV | SVO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | NP | HB | BB | IBB | SO | AVG | WHIP | GO/AO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | D-BLJ | DSL | ROK | 1 | 4 | 4.53 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43.2 | 50 | 32 | 22 | 4 | 324 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 48 | .273 | 1.26 | 1.15 |
| 2023 | F-BLU | FCL | ROK | 2 | 2 | 2.72 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49.2 | 35 | 17 | 15 | 1 | 365 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 57 | .198 | 0.95 | 1.30 |
| 2024 | DUN | FSL | A | 3 | 2 | 4.06 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82.0 | 63 | 40 | 37 | 6 | 1197 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 86 | .211 | 1.06 | 0.89 |
| 2025 | 2 teams | - | Minors | 6 | 7 | 3.04 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 121.1 | 113 | 50 | 41 | 7 | 1846 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 105 | .242 | 1.16 | 0.79 |
| 2025 | VAN | NWL | A+ | 6 | 4 | 3.05 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 94.1 | 87 | 37 | 32 | 6 | 1384 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 84 | .242 | 1.12 | 0.87 |
| 2025 | NH | EAS | AA | 0 | 3 | 3.00 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 26 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 462 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 21 | .243 | 1.30 | 0.56 |
| 2026 | NH | EAS | AA | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 131 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
| Date | Team | OPP | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | SVO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HB | BB | IBB | SO | AVG | WHIP | GO/AO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | NH | @ POR | 0 | 0 | 12.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .250 | 2.00 | 0.50 |
| 2026-04-12 | NH | @ POR | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .211 | 2.00 | 0.30 |
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