Now that the 2021 season is over for the New York Mets, we have been looking back at the year that was. After taking a more general view of the offense, pitching, and coaching staff, it’s time to take a deeper dive into the Mets’ players. This series will take a look at every player on the roster for the Mets at the end of the season from A (Albert Almora Jr) to Y (Jordan Yamamoto). The review will look at their season statistics, stories, and what role (if any) they will have next season. We continue the series today with a look at infielder Jose Peraza.
Player Review: Jose Peraza
2021 Stats:
Minor Leagues: 10 Games, 37 At Bats, .270 Batting Average, 10 Hits, 2 Doubles, 4 RBI’s, 5 Runs Scored, 1 Stolen Base, .632 OPS
Major Leagues: 64 Games, 142 At Bats, .204 Batting Average, 29 Hits, 7 Doubles, 6 Home Runs, 20 RBI’s, 21 Runs Scored, 1 Stolen Base, .647 OPS, 0.0 WAR
Story: The New York Mets signed veteran infielder Jose Peraza to a minor-league contract in November of 2020 to add some depth to their organization. Peraza failed to make the club out of spring training but was added to the big league roster on April 30 after Luis Guillorme landed on the injured list. The Mets used Peraza initially as a reserve but he started getting more regular playing time as the infield was ravaged by injuries, leading to some key at bats over the course of the season.
Peraza’s overall numbers weren’t great but he did have a knack for coming through in clutch situations, hitting .308 with runners in scoring position, an area where the Mets as a whole struggled to perform. The Mets also got some dramatic home runs out of Peraza, who hit the game-winning homer in a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on May 27th while also tying a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7th with a pinch-hit bomb off of Josh Hader. A finger injury in late July cost Peraza two months of the year and he returned to a bench role in late September with minimal impact.
Grade: B
Peraza was an extremely valuable player for the Mets as the team tried to stay afloat in the playoff race when their starting lineup was battling injuries. The loss of Peraza to injury in July also coincided with the beginning of the Mets’ collapse so it is fair to say his presence in the clubhouse was missed.
Contract Status: Signed Minor League Deal with New York Yankees
Odds of Returning: 0%
2022 Role: None
Peraza parlayed his 2021 campaign into a minor league deal with the Yankees, who have a much more flexible dynamic in the middle infield than the Mets do at the moment. The Mets will now be on the lookout for a player of Peraza’s caliber to add to their farm system on a minor league deal after the lockout ends.
Check back tomorrow as our Player Review Series continues with a look at starting pitcher David Peterson!
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