ARLINGTON -- Tony Beasley remembers first meeting Martín Pérez in 2015. 

The Rangers’ third base coach is one of few people within the organization who are still around from Pérez’s first stint in Texas. Back then, Pérez was just a 24-year-old youngster on a team filled with veterans like Adrián Beltré, Colby Lewis and Cole Hamels. 

“He always had good stuff,” Beasley said. “Same good guy, awesome teammate, but the game could speed up at times on crucial, crucial moments. You always saw the stuff, but he was not consistent, you know? Just that mentally, he wasn't the same. It was a team that had a lot of veteran players on it. He fit in with those guys, they didn't pressure him, but I think he put pressure on himself. He felt every bit of the game.”

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Catcher Mitch Garver also remembers first meeting Pérez, when the two were members of the Twins in 2019. Pérez was older than when he and Beasley first crossed paths, but he still wasn’t sure what kind of pitcher and player he truly wanted to be, Garver said.

Garver echoed Beasley’s sentiment that Pérez always had good stuff. The four-seamers reached the upper-90s, the cutters broke the right way and the changeup was devastating. But he still wasn’t quite able to prevent an unraveling in the middle of a game. 

“He was just trying to figure out what makes him the best version of himself,” Garver explained. 

Fast forward to Spring Training 2022, when Rangers manager Chris Woodward first met Pérez. He was a completely different person and pitcher than Beasley and Garver recalled. 

That’s because now, Pérez has it all figured out and is being rewarded for it. The Rangers southpaw, along with shortstop Corey Seager, will head to Los Angeles to join the American League All-Star Team at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.

“I had some really special conversations with him,” recalled Woodward of his first meeting with Pérez. “Especially with what we're trying to accomplish here, and where we're trying to get the entire team and organization. … He was in a really good headspace to start camp. We talked about the things he values, things that we value, and you could tell there was a common bond there.  

“He’s put it all together this year. Where he's at, I'm really proud of him. Because he's put a lot of work in to get to this point. To be 10 years in your career and get your first All-Star Game is pretty special.”

Pérez’s breakout season has been defined by how different it’s been from his first go-around with the organization. Texas signed Pérez out of Venezuela in 2007 and after making his MLB debut in ‘12, he spent the first seven years of his career with the club.

The first stint was much like Beasley said: full of potential, but lacking a true grasp on how to handle his emotions on the field. 

Pérez will be the first to tell you that’s why things didn’t go smoothly back then. But he also speaks honestly about the changes he’s made on a personal and professional level to get to where he is now.

“I've been through a lot of things in my personal life and I think no matter what, you have to be better every day,” Pérez said. “That's what I'm looking for every day, just trying to be a better person, dad and friend. I think it was time for me to show up and learn from those years and strive to be a good person [to] my teammates. It's not easy, but when you love this game, it's your duty.”

Woodward emphasizes how Pérez has been a “stabilizing force” for the Rangers’ pitching staff and the team as a whole this season. That’s not an overdramatic thing to say either.

The southpaw has been dominant all year, posting a 2.68 ERA in 18 starts. His season was highlighted by a complete game shutout of the Astros in Houston on May 20, when he was also named the American League Pitcher of the Month.

“I'm 31 years old and I learned from a lot of people,” Pérez said. “It's a [honor] for me to go out there and represent Texas. But one thing I said to my teammates in the meeting is that I'm gonna go out there and compete to do my best, but also I want to come back and we have a job to do. It’s not over yet. We have a chance to make it to the playoffs and we need to finish strong.”