Diamondbacks 2023 Player Reviews: Geraldo Perdomo

Coming off an ugly statistical season in 2022, infielder Geraldo Perdomo showed up much improved in 2023. While some aspects of his game certainly could stand to be developed further, Perdomo's strides on both offense and defense were notable. The young switch-hitter spent time both as a lead-off hitter and a nine-hole hitter due to his plate discipline.

With the return from injury by veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed, Perdomo's role looked to be somewhat of a question mark in 2023, especially facing left-handed pitching. However, the 24-year old ended up appearing in 144 games for the D-backs, playing a variety of infield roles but eventually taking over the everyday shortstop role once the team designated a struggling Ahmed for assignment. 

After hitting just .195 in 2022, Perdomo was primed for a bounce-back season at the plate, and in his first month of action, the switch-hitting infielder was lethal. Perdomo slashed .390/.455/.627 with a 1.082 OPS in the month of May with 16 RBI.

His June saw his numbers take a significant dive, as Perdomo racked up just 12 hits in 21 games and a .190 batting average. He did, however, boast a .311 on-base percentage, helped along by his 10 walks to just 12 strikeouts. He was able to double his production with 24 hits in June, hitting .286 and getting on base at a near-.400 rate with 16 walks to 16 strikeouts on the month. However, his slug was only .365 in June, with just six extra-base hits.

Perdomo's hot start to the 2023 season did not afford him an initial All-Star berth, however, following an injury to Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, Perdomo was named an all-star replacement. The young shortstop walked and flied out in his two plate appearances in the All-Star Game.

From this point in the season, unfortunately, Perdomo's hitting numbers stayed around or below average. His best monthly batting average following the All-Star Game came from a .250 August, with a .269/.369/.396 slash heading into a September playoff push. 

His slugging continued to dip, as his extra-base hits became few and far between. The young infielder's power was an issue, with just one home run and 15 extra-base hits over the span of June through September. Baseball Savant shows Perdomo in the bottom three percent in MLB in average exit velocity, barrel percentage and hard-hit percentage for the 2023 season.

That being said, Perdomo continued to get on base at a steady rate, staying well above .300 for the remainder of the season and posted in the 91st percentile in walk rate. Plate discipline and contact hitting were the stories of Perdomo's production. He rarely missed, ranking in the top four percent of the league in whiffs (96th percentile) and top two percent in chase rate (98th percentile). He struck out just over 17 percent of the time, while walking nearly 13 percent, both numbers being a three percent improvement from 2022.

Defensively, Perdomo was extremely reliable. Despite playing all infield positions but first base, the young infielder recorded just four errors on the season, over a .996 fielding percentage. While there were some moments where a mental (not recorded) error might have occurred, and his Defensive Runs Saved was a -1, Perdomo still showed out in the 86th percentile in defensive range, with 4 Outs Above Average.

Perdomo brought his best effort in the playoffs, being an unsung hero of the D-backs World Series run. Offensively, he hit at a .298/.389/.426 slash with four RBI and two home runs in the month of October (double his total over the previous four months), including a huge solo home run off Los Angeles Dodgers starter Lance Lynn to jump-start Arizona's historic four-homer inning and complete the sweep of the National League Divisional Series in Phoenix.

Defensively, Perdomo recorded zero errors in the playoffs, and made several crucial defensive plays, including a leaping stop in Game One of the Wild Card, helping prevent a potential disastrous save opportunity for Paul Sewald and propelling the D-backs off to a positive playoff start. 

Perdomo finished 2023 with a modest .712 OPS, but his .353 on-base percentage was more the story of his season than the lackluster .359 slug. He hit right-handed and left-handed pitching at a nearly identical batting average, hitting just above .240 from both sides of the plate. But he only drew four walks and hit two doubles against left hand pitching, leading to just a .579 OPS vs. lefties compared to 736 against righties. He hit all six of his homers and drew 60 walks against right hand pitching. He was one of the D-backs' most effective hitters with runners in scoring position, hitting situationally at a .313 clip on the season.

Where his game faltered was when his stellar plate discipline became his weakness, as he showed a proclivity to stare down called third strikes in crucial situations. 

Perdomo transcended his non-factor 2022 season to become an everyday contributor on both offense and defense in 2023, ending with a 2.46 aWAR while playing a variety of positions.

2024 Status and Outlook

There might still be some question surrounding the long-term roles of Arizona's infield. With young shortstop Jordan Lawlar in the works, and a variety of other infield prospects coming up, Perdomo might be pressured to continue his upward trajectory. However, with the addition of everyday third-basman Eugenio Suarez, Perdomo's role will likely be more defined at shortstop. Steamer projections have Perdomo slashing at a slightly worse rate, going .241/.339/.356, but if the young infielder continues to improve, he could propel himself past utility-man status and emerge as the everyday shortstop, especially if the D-backs make the possible decision to sit Lawlar in Triple-A Reno for a portion of 2024. Considering this is Perdomo's third season (second full), it's easy to forget the young switch-hitter is only 24 years old, with plenty of potential for development. Unless fast and significant strides are made by Lawlar at the plate, expect a decently heavy workload for Perdomo.