Remaking Martín Pérez: How the Twins are altering their new pitcher's approach

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins are tapping into pitcher Martín Pérez’s athleticism with a mechanical adjustment in hopes of unlocking available potential.

His last time on the mound, the former top prospect delivered. The veteran featured a fastball that sat between 95-97 mph and a newly installed cut-fastball that had scouts in the stands in disbelief.

While the velocity might have been more than they consistently expect, the Twins do think they can extract some of the talent that made Pérez a top prospect seven years ago. Not only do they believe Pérez, who turns 28 next month, is physically able to handle the changes, they’re also impressed with his commitment to the idea.

“Some of the guys you tweak them and others you try to get them back to when they were going good,” pitching coach Wes Johnson said. “Whether you want to call it a tweak or getting them back to when they were good and athletic, that’s what we’re doing with Martín.

“From a delivery standpoint, I’m really, really happy with where he’s at right now.”

Johnson calls it “going good.” Pérez, who will pitch again Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Bradenton, Fla., describes it as more of a “natural” motion.

Technically, the Twins asked the left-hander to make a moderately significant mechanical change in which he incorporates his hips more into his delivery. They see the athleticism that once allowed Pérez to climb as high as Baseball Prospectus’ No. 15 prospect and want to use it to his betterment.

After allowing two runs in his spring debut, Martín Pérez showed off the fruits of his offseason work on Sunday — four Ks in three innings against the Phillies.  (Jasen Vinlove / USA Today)

But to do so would take a big commitment from Pérez, who signed a one-year deal worth $4 million in January that includes a $7.5 million team option for 2020.

Pérez bought in.

“All in from Day One,” assistant pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said. “He’s a joy to be around. One of the hardest workers we have.”

The Twins, of course, will work with Pérez on pitch sequencing later on. But from the outset, Johnson said the emphasis has been a mechanical change that is all about hips and direction.

“From our first conversation I said I don’t know there’s so much I need to tweak as I need to get you more back to that 2010, 2011, when you were first coming up and really getting after it,” Johnson said. “That’s been our goal with him right now is to get him back more to that.”

Pérez has struggled to live up to those lofty expectations. He brings a career 4.63 ERA and 5.46 strikeouts per nine innings in 761 1/3 major-league innings into this season. Those figures include a rough 2018 season when Pérez finished with a 6.22 ERA. He broke his non-pitching elbow in an incident with a bull on his ranch in Venezuela before the start of last season and never got going, ending the season in the bullpen. But he feels good about the adaptations he and the Twins coaching staff have made and likes what he sees on the mound.

“I feel strong now on my legs,” Pérez said. “Before, I was too soft and that’s why everything was up last year. I’ve got a good changeup. The only pitch that worked last year was the two-seam. The fastball is a power pitch and you’re going to throw (it) with intention. This year, I’m just trying to repeat everything — work on the mound with my mechanics and my feel. When you play baseball, if you have a good feeling you’re going to have success.”

Rapid-fire review of new #MNTwins pitcher Martin Perez’s first spring outing. pic.twitter.com/UgPr0VoWmV

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) February 24, 2019

Manager Rocco Baldelli is pretty impressed with what he’s seen from Pérez early in camp. Not only did Pérez hit 97 mph on the radar gun a handful of times on Sunday, he’s also throwing a cut-fastball that one National League scout described as “filthy.” The cutter sat 90-91 mph and was added to replace a slider that Pérez threw only 91 times last season and hitters feasted on. Opponents hit .467 with an .867 slugging percentage against the slider in 2018 after hitting .339 with a .525 slug when he threw it more often in 2017, according to Baseball Savant.

Baldelli gave all the credit to Pérez for being able to handle the changes the Twins have asked him to make.

“He’s looked like a little bit of a different pitcher,” Baldelli said. “Still the same good athlete, he still throws strikes, he still repeats his delivery very well. He competes on the mound. All of those things are the same. He’s always had those things. But I think the stuff has looked really — it’s been impressive so far and (Sunday) might have been the best that we’ve seen of all of his outings including bullpens and everything that’s gone on so far. He’s put himself in a really good spot at this point in the spring.

“He’s been a certain type of pitcher in his career for a while now and to see a guy before your eyes be able to make pretty big adjustments in a short period of time, it just shows you what kind of athlete he is because not many people can do that.

“Not many people have the ability to just show up and, ‘We’re just going to add something or two things to what you do. Can you do it?’”

Pérez has enjoyed his work with a new coaching staff. He said he likes how his Twins coaches “know they’re here for us.” The way the plan has been communicated to him has made making the adjustments easier. He hopes the changes make pitching easier, too.

“We’re trying to work more natural,” Pérez said. “You’ve got to relax when you’re throwing a ball. We’re trying to use more of my hips.

“That’s what I’m trying to do. Last year I got hurt and I had ups and downs. They give me a chance to come here. They believe in me and trust me. I’m just trying to bring everything back again.”

Twins make roster moves

Several of the Twins’ top prospects are headed back to minor-league camp after a series of moves Friday.

Outfielder Alex Kirilloff, who is rated MLB Pipeline’s ninth-best prospect and second on the team, was reassigned to minor-league camp. He’s joined by outfielder Brent Rooker, the team’s No. 6 prospect, catcher Ben Rortvedt, the No. 24 prospect, and outfielder Luke Raley (No. 26).

The team also optioned left-handed pitcher Lewis Thorpe, the No. 8 prospect, fellow southpaw Andrew Vazquez and right-handed pitcher Kohl Stewart to Triple-A Rochester.

The Twins have 52 players remaining in big-league camp.

(Top photo: Jasen Vinlove / USA Today)