Detroit Tigers: Wenceel Perez needs to keep making strides in 2023

Detroit Tigers need Wenceel Perez to keep making strides in 2023.

When it comes to the Detroit Tigers, things have not been going as great as many were hoping. The honeymoon period with the new front office regime has been cut short, and things amongst the fanbase continue to sour.

The time until spring ball continues to wind down, and the Detroit Tigers are preparing to get back in action. But a step deeper than that, some prospects want to make significant strides in 2023 and cement roles in the future plans.

One of them being shortstop and middle infield prospect Wenceel Perez. With the Detroit Tigers having a new group in charge at the top, some of these prospects are literally playing their way into the Tigers' future plans or out of them, for that matter.

Scott Harris did not speak highly of the Tigers' farm system when he arrived in Detroit. He's going to be taking inventory of what the organization does have and what it does not. The players that are here are going to be traded, cut, and replaced. If you do not fit Harris's three pillars, you will likely be on the way out.

Perez is one of those players who has been here for quite some time and is still working through the minors. But he is coming off of the 2022 season, where he started to get some traction and put together a pretty solid season.

He spent time with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps and Double-A Erie SeaWolves. With the High-A Whitecaps, Perez logged 55 games with 236 plate appearances. He slashed .286/.364/.529 with 13 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, and 38 RBI.

Perez ended up earning himself a promotion to join the Double-A squad. He logged 39 games where he managed 171 plate appearances, slashing .307/.374/.540 with ten doubles, five triples, five home runs, and 28 RBI.

He ended up being able to steal 18 bases on 23 attempts. The toolsy infielder with athleticism has made strides over the years. He's 23 years old and has been working his way through the minors since the 2017 season after joining the team's Dominican Summer League team after signing with the organization.

The Tigers added Perez to the 40-man roster, which means a strong performance in 2023 could warrant him a chance at the big leagues. But the focus for Perez needs to be on advancing to Triple-A to join the Toledo Mud Hens first and foremost.

If he can go through spring ball and start the season strong, there's reason to believe he could piece together a solid 2023 performance and keep working through the organization.