Though long considered a top prospect, Martin Perez has fallen short of expectations in both the majors and the minors so far in his young career, and for that reason, Fantasy might be inclined to ignore his latest stint in the Rangers rotation.
But those seven innings he threw at St. Louis Saturday seemed different. He didn't have a big strikeout total, but he issued just one walk and was a model of efficiency, throwing 82 pitches.
It was the continuation of a trend that began in the minors, where he had a 1.75 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Round Rock of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and issued just eight walks in 36 innings. Poor control held him back as much as anything else in past years.
Rangers manager Ron Washington put it best Saturday: "I've always seen the stuff, but tonight was the first time I think he showed he's a big-league pitcher." With his ability, Perez doesn't need to do anything tricky to succeed at the highest level, and maybe he knows that now.
Let's see him do it once more before adding him.