Rockies glove-first shortstop prospect standing out in Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Understanding the importance of correct spelling in a sports article such as this one, Rockies No. 15 prospect Andy Perez graced a notebook with beautiful left-handed penmanship.

That’s a good place to begin the story of Perez, 22, a shortstop from Santa Clara, Cuba, who earned high defensive marks and batted .285 with Double-A Hartford this season, and is following up with a .269 (7-for-26) start through five games with the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.

How did a natural lefty become, as the Rockies often say, the best defensive shortstop in the Eastern League with a solid throwing arm being a key attribute?

“In Cuba, it’s very hard to find a lefty’s glove,” Perez said in Spanish, interpreted by Rockies pitching prospect and fellow Salt River roster member Fidel Ulloa. “People told my father, from a young age, since I was 5, ‘Maybe teach him how to throw right-handed.’”

The advice brought joy to Perez’s father, Ricardo Perez, who played some baseball as a youth. Ricardo became a friend of beloved Cuban National Team star Eduardo Paret, who excelled at shortstop and in the outfield during a career full of international play and glowing statistics.

How far along such hallowed footsteps can Perez travel?

The performance at Hartford and the Fall League start strengthens Perez’s position in a year in which he is eligible for the 40-man Major League roster.

Perez was the Rockies’ best shortstop story this year. 

In the Majors, Ezequiel Tovar struggled. In the Minors, Rockies No. 1/MLB Pipeline No. 23 prospect Ethan Holliday sustained a season-ending left foot stress fracture just as he was gaining traction in May. First-round pick and No. 4 prospect Tyler Bell from the University of Kentucky entered the Draft with a left shoulder injury that required surgery.

But Perez’s shortstop play would have stood out regardless of who else was playing in the organization.

“I do a number of things right,” Perez said. “No. 1 is the glove, and my arm range and accuracy help me.”

Offensively, Perez operates differently from what the Rockies are preaching. Known as a free-swinging organization before a new front office took over for the 2026 season, the Rockies set first baseman TJ Rumfield as a model. Coming over in a trade with the Yankees in January, Rumfield batted .300 and led the National League with a .390 on-base percentage as a rookie.

The left-handed-hitting Perez enjoys swinging the bat -- as evidenced by the fact that he walked just 25 times in 128 games and has not walked in the Fall League thus far.

“Obviously, I feel one of my great strengths are bat-to-ball contact skills, and that helps me be aggressive -- especially with pitches in the zone,” he said. “I don’t like letting good pitches go to waste.”

The numbers bring to mind performances of Tovar, who has been productive when making contact but struggled to do so this season. Perez finished second in the Eastern League in doubles (30), and the occasional home run power (nine) suggests more is possible as his wiry frame (listed 6-foot-3) matures. The coaching approach has been to direct Perez, not browbeat him into keeping the bat on his shoulder.

“Andy has a massive hit tool -- one of the best bat-to-ball skills I’ve ever seen,” Rockies Minor League hitting coordinator Nic Wilson said. “Our focus is helping him, similar to other guys, understand the areas where he dominates at-bats -- the counts where he’s really good -- and helping him get to those situations more.

“The last thing you want with a guy like Andy is to put the guardrails too tight. He needs freedom. This is a player that’s going to swing more than most, but it’s workable because the bat is on the ball.”

There’s something to be said for a player with the confidence that he can excel at anything.

“Occasionally, I’ll pick up a ball with my left hand just to mess around,” Perez said. “I’ve got a pretty good left arm, as well.”