Top Catching Prospect to Debut

[Lions]

2030 has been another lost season for the Badgers as we've lost 100 games for the 4th consecutive year now. Trying to dig out of a financial hole hasn't gone according to plan, with some of the players we've brought in unable to give the team even a small boost in revenue.

That said, the minors continue to be strong. Last year, all 4 of our minor league teams made the postseason, and this year those teams all made it back. Grand Rapids and Hamilton were bumped out quickly, but that has opened at least one door. Top hitting prospect Claudio Pérez, who happens to play catcher, started the year in AA and crushed the ball. He posted a 260 OPS+ over 60 games, with 20 home runs, a .349 average, and 42 walks. This was a nice surprise as he struggled last year.

Because of those struggles, he was given time to prove it wasn't just luck, but he eventually got the promotion to AAA Grand Rapids, where once again, he struggled. However, those struggles didn't overwhelm him like they seemed to with Hamilton in 2029. Instead, he made gradual improvements. From month to month, his OPS improved. He hit .360 in August. He demonstrated improved power and plate discipline, which are his biggest strengths. It all culminated in the postseason series against Niigata. While the Rafters would lost in 7 games to the Gigans, the series was close. 4 of the first 5 games were decided by 1 run, with the other by 2. In Game 6, Grand Rapids won 3-0 despite managing just 2 hits. Game 7 went Niigata's way, but through it all, Pérez was the hitting star. He hit .435 with 4 home runs and a 1.500 OPS.

It proved to Kalamazoo brass that he was ready for an even bigger stage. As such, with the Rafters' season now over, he'll get to experience what it's like in the PEBA for the final week of the regular season. The team has said he's not getting called up simply to watch and learn. He'll be inserted into the starting lineup and get a chance to play. How will it go? Well, probably not all that well. Pérez will be joining the team for a pair of series against Crystal Lake and Palm Springs. Both teams are leading their divisions and have an incentive to push hard to the finish. Crystal Lake is looking for home field advantage throughout the postseason, while Palm Springs is hoping to fend off Aurora and Bakersfield for the Desert Hills crown. So Pérez will be thrown into the fire, but expectations will be low and in the end, it's a fitting reward for his best season in professional baseball to date.

[Lions]

So, how did it go? Well, Pérez's first at bat came against Crystal Lake's Tony Cuellar in the bottom of the first inning on 9/24. Pérez was batting 3rd with the lefty on the mound, and the team giving the kids a chance to play. With two away, the first pitch came in for a strike. The second pitch was also a strike, but Pérez turned on it and sent it into the left field bleachers for a home run in his first at bat. Over the remainder of the week, he'd manage just two more hits and draw a pair of walks. Not a great showing, but nothing to be ashamed of either, and that first at bat will be a memory no one will ever take away.

[Ghosts]

With two away, the first pitch came in for a strike. The second pitch was also a strike, but Pérez turned on it and sent it into the left field bleachers for a home run in his first at bat.

Nice! His combination of plate discipline, defense, and power should keep him very gainfully employed for a long time. He's a bit Steve McDonald-esque.