Texas Rangers: Top 10 biggest busts of the decade

Texas Rangers: Top 10 biggest busts of the decade

Martin Perez

Perez was the Rangers’ #2 prospect in 2011, and the #8 overall prospect in MLB. He was as a hard-throwing left-hander with a plus changeup and curveball. MLB.com even took to comparing him to Johan Santana.

After a stint with the Rangers in 2012, Perez became a fixation in the team’s rotation in 2013. He gave a tremendous first impression, producing a 3.62 ERA and a 10-6 record over 20 starts.

Regrettably, his rookie season was his best season with Texas. His lowest ERA from 2014 to 2018 was 4.38. He won 13 games in 2017, but the Rangers eliminated him from the rotation after he went 2-7 with a 6.22 ERA through August of 2018. The team decided to decline his option post-season, and Perez became a free agent.

The former #8 prospect in baseball gave the Rangers flashes of excellence, though he never showed consistency. Perez did have quality stuff, but he struggled to command it. Moreover, he lacked the essences of great pitching, such as getting ahead in counts and minimizing damage.

He’s still trying to figure the game out, now as a member of the Boston Red Sox. He was a fine mid-rotation starter for the Texas Rangers for a chunk of the time, but he didn’t come close to fulfilling the organization’s expectations.