Martin Perez continues to be brilliant for the Texas Rangers in 2022

Martín Pérez pitched yet another gem for the Texas Rangers on Thursday for his 200th career start, as he worked through Oaklands lineup with ease, going seven innings and allowing only one run.

It’s been a career year for Pérez thus far, as his season ERA is now 1.60, which ranks second in the MLB behind only Justin Verlander, who is currently sitting at the insane ERA of 1.22. To go with his impressive ERA, Pérez is also second in the MLB in quality starts with seven (7/9 starts, with 7 straight quality starts), and is ranked sixth in pitching WAR. Working with his two different fastballs, throwing strikes, and executing pitches, has Pérez looking like a completely different pitcher than the league has become accustomed to over his what is now 11 year career.

As Pérez continues to dominate in a way we haven’t seen before, he is however still flying under the national recognition radar, as excellent pitchers on losing teams often do, especially those that pitch by execution like Pérez does, rather than relying on flashy stuff to get by. Although the ESPN’s of the world likely will not speak much on Pérez’s stellar performances this year, he is quickly becoming a household name in the Texas Rangers rotation.

He has been nothing short of phenomenal on the mound, and he is spearheading a pitching staff that looks as if they have turned things around in a huge way from their lackluster start of the season.

Martin Perez has been valuable on and off the field for the Texas Rangers in 2022

Not only is he pitching phenomenal, he is also setting a good example, as Martín Pérez stepped to the mound donning “4 Uvalde” on his cap in Thursday’s game, in honor of the victims of the tragic shooting which occurred earlier in the week. In the aftermath of his masterful 200th career start, Perez stated “It’s hard to believe what happened there,” Pérez said. “I have kids, too. It’s really bad, what happened to those kids. We feel that because we all have family. … Every time I went out there, I said this is for the city. They have to stop this. It cannot continue to happen.” Surely a meaningful moment for him to pay tribute to the fallen and to shift focus to the things that are far more important than baseball.

However, this isn’t the first time he has dedicated an amazing start to a good cause, as earlier this month he dedicated a complete game shutout victory to Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley, giving him the game ball. Pérez shed the spotlight, as he often seems to do to highlight things he deems more important.

Beasley, a cancer survivor, is a valued part of the Texas Rangers and the Rangers culture as a whole, as he’s left his inspirational mark on the team through his triumphant story of his fight against cancer. Both Martín Pérez and Joey Gallo have made tributes to Beasley, touting how important of a human he is.

Pérez was brought in to be a veteran presence and an innings eater for a young staff that was supposed be in a developmental year, but he’s been leading the way by setting the example of how to not only execute a strong pitching performance, but to be of high moral character as well.

While we cannot see what the future holds, whether that be an All-Star appearance or awards consideration at the end of the year, we can see the performances that he has continued to put on throughout this impressive streak and root for him to continue it, as it’s been a long time that a Texas Rangers pitcher was this impressive.

So, let the big media outlets remain quiet on Pérez, because we certainly notice him here in Texas, as we have something special here, and we’re looking forward to more impressive outings to come.