Luis Perales unleashed 15 fastballs that averaged 99.3 mph in his latest Arizona Fall League start, with only one dipping below 97.9 mph and a peak of 100.5 mph. The Red Sox prospect’s raw velocity remains elite—his season high sits at 101.1 mph—but command continues to haunt him like a recurring nightmare.
In Sunday’s 10-4 loss to Glendale, Perales surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits, one walk, and a wild pitch across 54 pitches. He threw strikes 61% of the time, but just 60% of his heaters found the zone. The full fastball ledger: 98.9, 98.8, 100.4, 99.3, 97.9, 100.5, 99.6, 99.7, 99.6, 98.8, 95.1, 98.7, 99.0, 99.4, 99.6 mph.
Across four AFL starts, the 22-year-old right-hander has now coughed up seven runs (six earned), nine hits, and eight walks in just 8 innings, fanning 11. The free passes and scattered contact underscore the same issue that stalled his 2025 breakout.
Perales spent most of the year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery performed June 27, 2024. He returned September 13, tossing three scoreless appearances between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester (2 ER, 0 H, 3 BB, 4 K in 3 IP), proving the elbow held.
Yet the command rust lingers. Once Boston’s No. 1 pitching prospect entering 2025, Perales has slipped to No. 8 overall on Baseball America’s Red Sox list, now trailing arms like Payton Tolle, 2025 first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon, Connelly Early, and Brandon Clarke.
The 40-man roster arm still flashes top-of-the-rotation stuff. If he can harness the 99 mph thunder, the nightmare ends—and the dream begins.