Wenceel Pérez

Wenceel Pérez's Biography

Wenceel Xavier Pérez, commonly known as Wenceel Pérez is a well-regarded professional baseball outfielder from the Dominican Republic. Born on October 30, 1999, he successfully made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in the year of 2024, donning the colors of the Detroit Tigers, a prominent team within the MLB.

Pérez embarked on his professional sporting journey in July 2016 when he inked his first contract as an international free agent with the Detroit Tigers. He commenced his professional career with the DSL Tigers, where he was assigned in 2017 and his performances spoke volumes about his potential. Over his first 61 games, he displayed a remarkable knack of timing, averaging .314 together with a .387 OBP. Additionally, he walked 27 times while just striking out 21 times. His agility on the field manifested through his 16 stolen bases, which further earned him a promotion to the GCL Tigers in the subsequent season in 2018.

In his journey towards a successful career, Pérez managed to secure a leap to the short season single-A Connecticut Tigers, after registering a promising batting average of .383 along with a .462 OBP in his 20 games. Following a short stint at Connecticut, he was transferred up to the West Michigan Whitecaps.

On his debut night in West Michigan, Pérez made a lasting impression by scoring four times out of four, including a couple of runs. He repeated an impressive performance, managing a .309 score over 16 games which reflected a promising start to his 2019 season with the Whitecaps. MLB.com also acknowledged his talents and named him as #12 on the Detroit Tigers’ Top 30 Prospects List ahead of the 2019 season. He played 124 games that season, where he maintained a .233 batting average with an OBP of .299. His scores included 3 home runs, 16 doubles, six triples, and he managed to finish with 30 RBIs while stealing 21 bases.

However, the year of 2020 saw him benched due to the worldwide onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the abrupt cancellation of the minor league season.

Coming back to the game, Pérez was added to the Tigers’ 40-man roster on November 15, 2022, a strategic move to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He started 2023 by being optioned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. Pérez played in 116 games for the Single–A Lakeland Flying Tigers, Double–A Erie SeaWolves, and Toledo, achieving a .274/.368/.417 batting line with 9 home runs, 48 RBI, and clocking 26 stolen bases. Pérez played for the Triple-A Toledo right at the start of the 2024 season.

On April 8, 2024, the professional baseball outfielder got promoted to the major leagues, marking an important milestone in his baseball career. He made a memorable debut, scoring a single off Minnesota Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson during his first MLB at-bat on April 13. He even managed to steal the second base in the same game. His first MLB home run came against the Kansas City Royals, where he scored off of Michael Wacha on April 28.