Texas Rangers: What To Expect From Martin Perez In 2018

Pitchings and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in less than 35 days. The Texas Rangers are on a mission to constructing a dominant pitching rotation. A number of free agent pitchers have been acquired and competition is set to begin soon. One of the pitchers that will compete is Martin Perez, who’s been in the organization for a while. We may see him return sooner than expected.

Last month, Perez, suffered a broken elbow at his ranch in Venezuela. Perez was expected to miss at least one month of the season. However, today it was reported that Perez says he expects to be good to go on Opening Day. The Texas Rangers will make sure he’s 100 percent before they activate him.

Last September, the Rangers made the decision to pick Perez’s option for the 2018 season. 2018 is Perez’s last chance to prove himself and convince the Rangers he’s worthy of staying in Arlington and playing at the major league level.

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The Rangers have big expectations for Perez. First and foremost, we are to expect to stay healthy once he’s activated from the disabled list. If Perez is confident he’ll be ready for Opening Day, then we can expect him to report next month and start working immediately. He needs to be focused and motivated.

Perez needs to find a way to pitch effectively and to find a way to stay effective. Of course, he may go on a hot streak and fall a few steps back, but when that happens, he needs to find a way to keep going forward. He can’t afford to go on a very cold streak.

Last year, from August through September, Perez went on a brilliant 8-3 run. When that run started, Perez was struggling and had a 5-9 record. It was not looking good for him and the Rangers were on the verge of being finished with him. But Perez was able to find a way to prove himself. He’s going to have to just that this season.

As we know, Perez doesn’t have a spot in the rotation. No one does. Perez, like everyone else, has to earn his spot. If he performs well during Spring Training, there’s no doubt, he’ll earn a spot in the rotation and play well this season.