SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Red Sox right-hander Luis Perales features one of the most electric arms in the Arizona Fall League and he wasted little time proving it. In his AFL debut on Tuesday, just his fourth appearance in game action since Tommy John surgery in June 2024, his fastball hit 101 mph.
Perales has lit up radar guns since entering pro ball. A month after signing for $75,000 in July 2019, he pushed his heater to 95 mph as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Republic's Tricky League. Still a teenager when he came to the United States in 2022, Boston's No. 9 prospect touched 99 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
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Perales established himself as Boston's best pitching prospect by 2024, striking out 39 percent of the batters he faced while reaching Double-A that June at age 21. His elbow gave out in his second start at that level, however, leading to elbow reconstruction that sidelined him for 15 months before he made three brief outings in the final weeks of the Double-A and Triple-A seasons this September.
Pitching for the Salt River Rafters against the Glendale Desert Dogs, Perales sat at 99 mph with his fastball but his control and command weren't sharp. He threw 17 of his 33 pitches for strikes and walked three of the seven batters he faced.
Perales' best offering was an 86-94 mph cutter that notched one of his two strikeouts. His other came on his lone changeup, which arrived at 86 mph with nice sink.
"It just felt good being out there competing and just kind of building off of that," Perales said via interpreter/Rafters pitching coach Tyler Mark (D-backs). "I felt good, felt strong. The cutter is one of my better secondaries, so just seeing it perform today felt good. It also was just kind of a testament to the hard work I put in during the rehab and on to right now."
Perales' velocity obviously has returned, and the next step will be improving the consistency of his secondary pitches (which also include a mid-80s slider) and his ability to locate his entire arsenal. There's debate among scouts as to whether he's more likely to wind up as a starter or a reliever, though in the latter role he should have closer upside. Assuming he stays healthy, he could reach the Majors next season as a 22-year-old.
"I love doing this, so it definitely felt good to get back on the mound," Perales said. "It's going to be a process and I'm hoping that the Fall League and these outings will get me closer to the big leagues."
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Red Sox hitters in the Fall League
Nelly Taylor, OF (No. 17): Taylor's well-above-average speed translates into basestealing prowess (29 swipes this year) and quality defense in center field. A 12th-rounder out of Polk State (Fla.) CC in 2023, he slashed .216/.355/.349 with seven homers in 108 games at High-A.
Johanfran Garcia, C (No. 28): The younger brother of Top 100 prospect Jhostynxon "The Password" Garcia, Johanfran is known as "The Username" and has more offensive upside than most catchers. After blowing out the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in May 2025 and having surgery, he returned this year to bat .249/.327/.428 with nine homers in 46 games at High-A.
Stanley Tucker, OF/2B: Drafted in the 19th round out of Texas A&M in 2023, Tucker missed most of his first full pro season with a dislocated left shoulder and all of his second with a broken right wrist. He has hit .184/.296/.274 in 90 pro games and his plus speed is his best tool.
Red Sox pitchers in the Fall League
Jay Allmer, RHP: Signed as a nondrafted free agent in April, Allmer generates a lot of weak contact with his 88-93 mph sinker. The Seton Hall product logged a 2.79 ERA with a .178 average-against and 28 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings at High-A.
Jojo Ingrassia, LHP: A 14th-round pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2023, Ingrassia has posted a 2.15 ERA, .178 average-against and 114 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings over two Class A levels during his two pro seasons while dealing with elbow and shoulder issues. His low-90s fastball plays better than its velocity because he throws from a low slot with crossfire and extension that create sink, horizontal action and deception. It works well in tandem with a mid-80s changeup that fades in the opposite direction.
Brandon Neely, RHP: Neely served as the No. 1 starter and the closer at various times during his college career at Florida, pitching in the 2024 College World Series before going in the third round that July. He relies heavily on his fastball, which sits at 92-95 mph and operates at 97, getting chases and missing bats thanks to its huge armside run and some carry. He has yet to make his pro debut after dealing with forearm stiffness this year.
Isaac Stebens, RHP: Stebens works primarily with a low-90s fastball with plenty of sink and run, adding deception with his low arm slot. The 2023 16th-rounder from Oklahoma State compiled a 2.15 ERA with a .198 average-against and 59 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings at High-A.