Roberto Andres Pérez (born December 23, 1988) is a Puerto Rican professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

who is a free agent. He played college baseball for

Florida Gateway College Florida Gateway College (FGC), formerly Lake City Community College, is a public college in Lake City, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and one of the institutions in the system designated a "state college", allowing it to offer ...

. Pérez was drafted by the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

in the 33rd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Indians, and has also played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

and

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. He has won two

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...

s and two

Fielding Bible Award A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each baseball positions, fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on "statistical analysis, the eye test, and any other factors that anelistswish to utilize." John D ...

s, and was named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

Early life

Pérez was drafted by the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

in the 29th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft out of Eugenio Maria De Hostos High School in

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez (, ) is the ninth-largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Township of Virgin of Candelaria, Our Lady of Candelaria), and is also ...

. He did not sign and attended

, for whom he played college baseball.

Career

Cleveland Indians

Minor leagues

Pérez was drafted by the

in the 33rd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut in 2009 with the AZL Indians, and also played for the Low-A

Mahoning Valley Scrappers The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River, and play their home games at Eastwood Field. From 1999 to 2020, they were ...

and the Single-A

Lake County Captains The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following ...

, and slashed .313/.411/.431 in 55 games between the three teams. In 2010, Pérez returned to Lake County, where he hit .217/.360/.339 with 6

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 38

RBIs A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

. The following season, Pérez played for the High-A

Kinston Indians The Kinston Indians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League (CL) located in Kinston, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2011. They played their home games at Grainger Stadium, which opened in 1949. The team began play in 1978 as the Kin ...

, posting a .225/.365/.310 slash line with 2 home runs and 30 RBIs. In 2012, Pérez played for the Double-A

Akron Aeros The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,63 ...

, logging a .212/.336/.293 slash line with 1 home run and 31 RBIs in 95 games. Pérez played while suffering from

bell's palsy Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results in a temporary inability to control the facial muscles on the affected side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. Symptoms can vary f ...

during the 2013 season while playing for Akron and the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

. Despite the condition, Pérez managed to play in 99 games and hit 2 home runs and 34 RBIs to pair with a .200/.337/.286 slash line.

Major leagues

Debut and early career (2014–2015)

Pérez was called up to the majors for the first time on July 8, 2014. He had his first major league hit two days later against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. On July 10, 2014, Pérez hit his first career home run off of

pitcher Jim Miller. During part of the 2015 season, he became the primary catcher while

Yan Gomes Yan Gomes (; ; born July 19, 1987) is a Brazilian-American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Oakland Ath ...

was on the disabled list. Toward the second half of the 2016 season, Pérez became the primary catcher, once again, in Gomes' spot.

World Series appearance (2016)

In Pérez's first postseason at-bat of his major league career, he hit an opposite-field home run off the Boston Red Sox's

Rick Porcello Frederick Alfred Porcello III (born December 27, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. Selected by the Tigers in the 2007 ML ...

, helping the Indians to a 5–4 victory. In the first game of the

2016 World Series The 2016 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American Leag ...

, Pérez hit two home runs in the 6–0 Indians win. Throughout the 2016 postseason, Pérez had the second-most RBIs (7), walks (7), and home runs (3) of any Indians player.

2017–2018

On April 2, 2017, the Indians signed Pérez to a four-year contract worth $9 million, with club options for the 2021 and 2022 season worth an additional $12.5 million. In 2017 he batted .207/.291/.373. In

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, Pérez batted .168/.256/.263. He had the lowest batting average against right-handers among all MLB hitters (140 or more plate appearances), at .150. Following the season, the Indians traded Gomes, opening an opportunity for Pérez to assume regular catching duties.

Multiple defensive awards (2019)

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, Pérez established a number of career highs offensively, batting .239/.321/.452, while also being recognized for his defensive work. He revealed that he played through

bone spurs An exostosis, also known as a osteochondroma, is a benign chondrogenic lesions derived from aberrant cartilage from the perichondral ring. Exostoses can cause chronic pain ranging from mild to moderate, but rarely severe, depending on the shape, s ...

in an ankle from April through the end of the season, noting that was "telling myself don’t quit. You waited for so long to play every day and now that you have the opportunity you cannot go down like this.” His batting average, SLG, and OPS (.774) were each career highs; he played in a career-high 119 games, and collected career-highs in each of hits (93), home runs (24), RBIs (63), walks (45),

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s (127), and total bases (176). On defense, Pérez led all

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

(AL) fielders with 1,082

putout In baseball statistics, a putout (PO) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base (a tag ...

s. With 20 of 49 runners thrown out on attempted

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s, he led AL catchers in

caught stealing In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder wh ...

percentage (40.9); he also led AL catchers with 12

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Le ...

s turned, and accumulated a 29 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating to lead all major leagues catchers. Following the season, Pérez received his first each of the

Rawlings Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...

, and the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for all fielders and at catcher. The Cleveland chapter of the

Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines, and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908 and is known fo ...

(BBWAA) named him the

Bob Feller Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...

Man of the Year. He underwent

arthroscopic Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the j ...

surgery on October 17, 2019, to remove the bone spurs in his right ankle.

2020

With the 2020 Cleveland Indians, Pérez batted .165 with one home run and five RBIs in 32 games. He won the Fielding Bible and Gold Glove Awards for catching for the second year in a row. On October 30, 2020, the Indians exercised their club option on Pérez's contract for the 2021 season.

2021

On April 14, Chicago White Sox pitcher

Carlos Rodón Carlos Antonio Rodón (born December 10, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played MLB for the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants. Rodón is a two- ...

had a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New Yo ...

going by retiring the first 25 batters he faced. Perez was up to bat. On an 0–2 count, Rodón hit Pérez in the foot with a slider to break up the perfect game. Replays appeared to show that Perez made little effort in trying to avoid the pitch from hitting him. Rodón then retired the next two batters he faced to complete the

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

. In his post-game press conference, Pérez apologized for breaking up the perfect game saying, "To be honest, I really didn't think he had a perfect game until I got hit. I thought he had a no-hitter going on, but I really didn't think he had a perfect game. So it's hard, man. I'm not gonna try to stand there and get hit you know?" On May 23, Pérez was placed on the 60-day injured list as he continued to recovery from finger surgery. He was activated on July 3, and took the roster spot of

René Rivera René Rivera (born July 31, 1983) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Los Ange ...

, who was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

. The Indians declined their club option on Pérez's contract for the 2022 season on November 5, 2021, making Pérez a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 1, 2021, Pérez signed a one-year contract with the

. On May 7, 2022, Pérez was removed from a game against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

with left hamstring discomfort, later revealed to be a strain. On May 18, it was announced that Pérez would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his left hamstring. In 21 games for the Pirates in 2022, he batted .233/.333/.367 with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs.

San Francisco Giants

On January 29, 2023, Pérez agreed to a contract with the

. On February 4, the deal was revealed to be a minor league contract and was made official. On March 25, it was announced that Pérez had made the Opening Day roster and would be selected to the 40-man roster. Pérez began the season as the Giants’ primary catcher, but was placed on the 60-day injured list on April 8 after suffering a right

rotator cuff The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...

strain. He underwent season-ending surgery to repair his rotator cuff on April 13.

Boston Red Sox

On December 13, 2023, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. He did not make an appearance for the organization before he was released on July 2, 2024.

Caliente de Durango

On February 10, 2025, Pérez signed with

Caliente de Durango Caliente de Durango is a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Durango. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Francisco Villa, with a capacity of 6,000 people. The team was established in 2024 after the former Durango's Mexican L ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 16 appearances for Durango, he slashed .211/.388/.316 with six RBI. Pérez was released by the Caliente on May 19.

International career

Pérez played for the Puerto Rican national team in the

2017 World Baseball Classic The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts wer ...

where he won a silver medal.

Personal life

Pérez has one star tattoo on each hand, representing his mother and his son. His mother's name is tattooed on his right wrist.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez, Roberto 1988 births Living people Cleveland Indians players Pittsburgh Pirates players San Francisco Giants players Gold Glove Award winners Arizona League Indians players Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Lake County Captains players Indios de Mayagüez players Peoria Javelinas players Kinston Indians players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Akron Aeros players Columbus Clippers players Sportspeople from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Lake City Timberwolves baseball players Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Major League Baseball catchers 2017 World Baseball Classic players Florida Gateway College alumni Caliente de Durango players