Rangers Ace Martin Pérez is Underpaid

Entering his start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, the lefty carries one of the best ERAs in Major League Baseball

It’s official — Martín Pérez is underpaid.

The Texas Rangers took a flier on the left-hander in the offseason, giving him a one-year $4 million contract. The Rangers knew Pérez, of course, from his first stint with the Rangers. His track record in 2020 and 2021 in Boston wasn’t encouraging — 10-13 with an earned run average of over 4.50.

Even if Pérez didn’t have the stuff he had early in his Rangers career, at least he could eat some innings, right?

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Martín Pérez 

Martín Pérez 

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Martín Pérez 

Well, Pérez put together another masterful game against Oakland on Thursday in what was his 200th career start. No, it wasn’t a complete game shutout. No he didn’t claim the victory, either. After seven innings, the Rangers pulled him for Matt Bush, who ended up nabbing the win.

Pérez could have gone longer, despite having thrown 95 pitches. He threw more in his complete-game shutout win over Houston in his previous start. He gave up one run at Oakland — his first during a road start this season. He allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two.

He did it all with "4 Uvalde" written on his hat, a remembrance of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

His 3-2 record is not indicative of just how dominant going into Tuesday’s start against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Perez has a Major League-low 1.60 ERA. That’s the lowest ERA for a Rangers pitcher in his first nine starts since Kenny Rogers posted a 1.49 ERA in 1995. Pérez still hasn’t allowed a home run this season. He put together a seventh straight start of at least six innings and one or fewer earned runs.

That allowed Pérez to share a distinction with a Rangers legend and Hall of Famer. Gaylord Perry was the last Rangers pitcher to accomplish that feat, doing so in 1975. Pérez could surpass that streak on Tuesday.

Pérez also extended his streak of quality starts to seven, but he saw his streak of scoreless innings on the road end at 25 innings, with the A’s scoring a run in the fourth inning.

Pérez was the only pitcher in the Majors to start the season with three or more road starts with no runs allowed before giving up that run. But his line on the road is still the envy of any other starting pitcher — he’s struck out 20 and walked seven.

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Martín Pérez 

Martín Pérez 

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Martín Pérez 

Pérez’s road streak was the longest to start the season in Rangers history, but it fell well short of Gaylord Perry’s club record of 40 straight scoreless innings in 1977.

The only unusual aspect of his start is that Pérez is just 1-0 on the road. His other road outings turned into no-decisions, including Thursday’s outing and his last appearance in Oakland on April 23. But he is 2-2 at Globe Life Field.

Based on the money and the rate of return, Pérez looks like the best decision the Rangers made this offseason.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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