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The Cuban left-handed pitcher Cionel Pérez made his debut this Sunday with the Syracuse Mets at the Triple-A level of Minor Leagues, an affiliate of the New York Mets in the International League, marking his first appearance with the fourth organization of his career in Major League Baseball.
Pérez pitched the seventh inning in his team's 8-5 loss to the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, his previous organization.
In that inning, he gave up a hit, allowed a run, issued two walks, and struck out one batter.
The 29-year-old pitcher used 23 pitches (11 strikes) and reached a top speed of 96.5 MPH with the sinker.
The debut took place four days after Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Mets last Wednesday, after going unclaimed on waivers and opting for free agency on May 4.
The journey to Syracuse was marked by an inconsistent season with the Nationals, the organization he signed with in February after a showcase in Tampa that drew scouts from nearly 20 MLB teams with speeds of 98-99 mph.
Pérez shone in the 2026 spring training, where he threw six innings without allowing any earned runs, with a WHIP of 0.50 and five strikeouts, securing a spot on the Opening Day roster, a remarkable achievement for a pitcher who was coming from outside the 40-man roster.
However, in the regular season, he did not maintain that level: he recorded an ERA of 6.19 and a WHIP of 1.69 over 16 innings pitched, with 11 walks compared to only nine strikeouts.
That performance led the Nationals to remove him from the 40-man roster before he chose free agency.
The decline of Pérez has a long history. His best season was in 2022 with the Baltimore Orioles, where he posted an ERA of 1.40 in 66 appearances and was regarded as one of the best acquisitions by general manager Mike Elias.
Since then, his performance declined progressively: an ERA of 3.54 in 2023, 4.53 in 2024, and 8.31 in 19 appearances in 2025, which led the Orioles to designate him for assignment in May of that year.
He spent the rest of 2025 in Triple-A Norfolk with an ERA of 6.85 over 21 games before becoming a free agent on September 29.
In his Major League career, he has accumulated 257 appearances, a record of 15-6, and an ERA of 4.22 in 237 innings pitched.
According to RotoWire, "control will be the determining factor for Pérez to get a chance in the New York bullpen, as he accumulated 11 walks compared to just nine strikeouts in his 16 innings with the Nationals."
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