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Signed for $75,000 out of Venezuela in July 2019, Perales put himself on the prospect map when his fastball reached 95 mph in the Dominican Republic's Tricky League a month later. Because of the pandemic, minor injuries and getting handled with care, he worked just 127 1/3 innings in his first four years a pro. He dominated early last season, striking out 39 percent of the batters he faced while reaching Double-A in June at age 21, but he blew out his elbow in his second start there and had Tommy John surgery later that month.Perales makes up for a lack of physicality with lightning-quick arm speed that generates four-seam fastballs that sit at 95-98 mph and touch 99 with a flat approach angle and huge carry up in the strike zone. He made progress with his secondary pitches last season, particularly with an upper-80s splitter that features devastating tumble when it's on. He uses both a sweeping low-80s slider and a tighter upper-80s cutter, with the latter pitch improving significantly in 2024.While Perales is athletic and gets down the mound well to create extension, he's also small for a starter and throws with some effort. He looked more like a pitcher than a thrower last year, cutting his walk rate to 8 percent (down from 13 percent in his first three pro seasons) and using his secondary offerings more often rather than just dominating with his fastball. The Red Sox still are convinced that he can become a frontline starter, though he'll miss the 2025 season and other clubs think it's more likely he'll become a closer.
There were 43 pitches thrown at 100 mph or harder during the 2025 Arizona Fall League. Luis Perales was responsible for 20 of them.If there were any concerns about how the velocity would bounce back for the Red Sox's No. 9 prospect following Tommy John surgery in June 2024, those were quickly quelled during his turn with the Salt River Rafters.Perales made his return to game action this September, making three brief appearances between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. Add in the fact that he’ll turn 23 next April, and the Venezuela native is knocking on the door of Fenway Park.But he’s far from a finished product.Perales led Salt River with 15.1 K/9 and finished in the circuit's Top 10 with 19 strikeouts, while consistently showing off his premium velocity – which maxed out at 101.1 mph. But he also ran into issues with walks and hard contact, which led to a 10.32 ERA across his six appearances.“I think the biggest thing for him is to attack hitters, make them put the ball in play,” said Salt River manager Eric Patterson. “I know strikeouts are a big thing now, but I think sometimes these guys get caught up in trying to strike guys out on strike one. It's like, ‘Hey man, if we continue to stick in the zone, you will get your strikeouts.’ It's pounding the zone, focus probably more so on getting outs, and striking people out and all that stuff will take care of itself.”Ultimately, the Fall League was an (abbreviated) six-start spin against some of the best offensive prospects the sport has to offer. The biggest takeaway was summed up best by Patterson, who got to watch Perales from field level each time he took the mound:“He goes about his work the right way, has an idea of what he wants to do," Patterson said. "Electric arm, really good stuff.”
