Despite going 5-5 in their last ten games, the Detroit Tigers enter today tied with the ever-present Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball. Detroit’s success this season is the result of young, talented players who are also making a fantasy baseball impact: Spencer Torkelson has 17 home runs and an OPS over .800, Tarik Skubal is once again leading the American League Cy Young Award race, and potential All-Star starter Riley Greene is having a career year.
There’s another budding star in Detroit, one who is only rostered in 42% of Fantrax leagues. Outfielder Wenceel Perez, despite having only 100 plate appearances so far this season, is a prime fantasy baseball waiver wire target. He’s extremely sought-after at the moment – his roster share jumped 10% last week – and for good reason. Here are four reasons to pick up Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez.
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Four Reasons Wenceel Perez is a Perfect Fantasy Baseball Pickup
Reason #1: He’s Lifting the Ball More Often
Throughout his career, lifting the ball has been key to Perez’s offensive success. According to his 2024 MLB Pipeline scouting report, the Tigers outfielder “[broke out] as a prospect after adding strength to his body and changing his swing to create more lift.”
He’s replicated those changes at the big-league level, which has helped him do more damage at the plate. According to Baseball Savant, Perez had an Ideal Attack Angle Rate of 44.3% last season. That means at the point of contact, his bat was between five and 20 degrees – the optimal swing path – on under half of his batted balls. This year, that rate is up to 55.7%, which is above the MLB average.
Said swing changes have enabled Perez to lift the ball more often in 2025 and do more damage at the plate. He’s pulling the ball in the air significantly more often than he did last year – 34.3% of his batted balls in 2025 have been pulled in the air, up from a 22.3% mark last season – and Perez is seeing positive results at the plate.
Reason #2: Elite Fantasy Baseball Production
Perez has posted excellent numbers at the plate this season, albeit in a sample size limited by injury. In 91 at-bats, the 25-year-old is slashing .286/.340/.604. Since debuting on May 27th, here are Perez’s ranks among 164 qualified hitters:
.286 AVG: 61st (63rd percentile)
.340 OBP: 70th (58th percentile)
.604 SLG: 16th (91st percentile)
6 HR: 31st (82nd percentile)
17 RBI: 53rd (68th percentile)
In addition to his regular stats – which tell us he’s been one of the better fantasy performers in baseball since debuting this season – Perez’s batted-ball quality backs up his on-field production. His 15.7% barrel rate ranks 20th among qualified MLB hitters since his season debut, and his 41.4% launch-angle sweet spot rate is good for the 94th percentile among batters with at least 100 plate appearances this season.
Reason #3: Tangible Plate Approach Adjustments
Last season, Perez had a completely different offensive profile. He didn’t hit the ball hard – his exit velocity metrics, barrel rate, and expected stats all left something to be desired – but he made contact often enough to post typical strikeout and walk rates.
Rather than focus on making contact and maintaining plate discipline, which was not his strong suit to begin with, Perez sold out for more power this season. While his chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rates have increased, it’s a clear change in approach that has benefited his overall offensive profile in 2025. Perez is swinging at over half the pitches he sees this year, which is a 4.5% increase from last season.
Similarly to how he adjusted his swing to lift the ball more, this isn’t the first time Perez has made this type of plate approach adjustment. In his 2024 MLB Pipeline scouting report, it’s noted that Perez “is an increasingly selective hitter, reflected in a career-high 63 walks last year, but sometimes also struggles to find his best pitch for damage and ends up with softer contact.”
After seeing that exact scenario play out at the big-league level last season, his much-improved offensive approach gives fantasy baseball managers confidence that Perez’s offensive breakout is for real.
Reason #4: He Does Damage Across All Splits
For fantasy baseball managers looking to set a lineup and forget it, Perez is a great option anywhere on the diamond. His utility status makes him a very versatile player on any fantasy baseball roster, making him even more valuable. Boasting an above-average OPS against left-handed and right-handed pitching certainly doesn’t hurt Perez’s fantasy baseball stock, either.
Last season, Perez had a negative Run Value on four-seam fastballs, sinkers, curveballs, sweepers, and splitters. This year, he has a positive Run Value on every pitch type. His production versus both left-handers and right-handers, as well as against all arsenals, gives fantasy managers confidence he’ll provide results regardless of who he’s facing that day.
Wenceel Perez is a must-add for fantasy managers for many reasons, not the least of which is his ability to make adjustments and stellar production so far this season. His versatility also makes him a perfect player for fantasy managers who want to set their lineup and not feel the need to manage it daily. Look for him to continue his offensive production during the second half of the fantasy baseball season.
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Images courtesy of Baseball Savant.
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