Steve Guilbert of Macks Mets says pitcher Ryan Perez is one of the players he really hopes the Mets pick up in the 2012 MLB Draft. Let him tell you why…
Ryan Perez, BHP – Westminster Christian High School (IL)
Yes, you read that correctly. BHP stands for “both-handed pitcher” (also known as “double barrel” pitching) and Ryan Perez is a true ambidextrous pitcher.
Unlike Pat Venditte of the Yankees, who throws much harder with his right arm and significantly slower with his left, Perez can hit 90 MPH with both his left and his right arms. His impressive repertoire hardly stops there, either; he also throws a change, curve and cutter from both sides and shows advanced control for a high-school pitcher. He also can throw side-armed from both arms, although he rarely does it.
According to an article for CBS, Perez will start games with his left hand and change to his right later in games because he feels his right arm is more dominant and he likes to close down games right-handed. However, when the lineup calls for it, he will sometimes face one batter righty and the next lefty and so forth. While he is not allowed to change arms in the middle of at bats, he can and does from batter to batter and certainly from inning to inning.
Perez has found quite a bit of success with his crafty approach and impressive arsenal as well. Perez’s stats from last year included a 9-1 record, a 1.56 ERA and 131 Ks in 63 innings while sharing time at third and short (he throws right-handed while in the field). I know this isn’t Sun Belt competition, but those numbers are ridiculous.
While this Chicago local has dreams of playing for the White Sox, I am rooting for the Mets to look at him seriously sometime after day one. Even if this kid were not ambidextrous (which I think would undoubtedly put fans in seats at each stop all the way to Flushing), I would still want to draft him for his pitch repertoire, work ethic and dedication to the craft. His father, who started him throwing with both arms at a young age, has worked him hard. “He (my dad) would tell me I have to work out twice as long. I would take a bucket of balls left-handed fielding then right-handed. Then I would do a bucket of fly balls left and right handed. After that I would still have to pitch and hit,” Perez said.
What’s not to like right?
Here’s what an AL scout said of him:
“If you got to win one game, I’m going to pick him,” one American League scout said. “He can really pitch. He’s a crafty, crafty guy. It’s not like he’s just hitting 82. I’ve seen him in a tryout camp where he was 87-88 from the left and around 91-92 from the right. That’s legit velocity.”
Can you imagine what a draw this kid could be if he makes it to the majors?
