With their 11th round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Dominic Perachi out of Salve Regina University.
Perachi was not ranked in the top 250 for MLB Pipeline or the top 500 for Baseball America. He is 21 years old and stand 6’4″, 195 pounds. He pitched two seasons of college ball at Division III, posting a 5.28 ERA in 29 innings last year, followed up by a dominating 1.00 ERA in 71.2 innings this year. He issued 19 walks and had 40 strikeouts last year, then improved to a 120:20 SO/BB ratio this season. He has performed well in collegiate summer ball each of the last two years, posting a 2.06 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 35 innings last year, followed by a 2.22 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24.1 innings this season.
He reportedly throws 93 MPH, with good spin on his curveball (he throws two separate curves) and a changeup that is called serviceable. He made a lot of improvements since his freshman year, adding 30 pounds of good weight and adding ten MPH to his fastball.
+ postsJohn started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
If they spend their entire bonus pool on this draft class, I’ll be quite surprised.
I like this pick.
I know you dont draft for need, but definitely a lack in LHP coming into this. Can rush the college guys to be pen arms for the playoff push next year, thats the plan
The thought did cross my mind that if you push these guys to AAA (or even AA) while they have plenty of option years left, the Pirates can implement a bullpen strategy where they limit starters to one time through the lineup, use multiple relievers, and shuttle guys between Pittsburgh and Indy (or Altoona) as needed. I don’t think that’s behind their draft strategy but, again, the thought did occur to me.
A DIII lefty starter. I did not see that coming, but he’s been successful in HS, college, and summer leagues.
Kid is from Litchfield County in Connecticut, where the Pirates found a guy named Steve Blass!
https://www.providencejournal.com/story/sports/college/2022/04/27/salve-regina-university-baseball-pitcher-dominic-perachi-drawing-interest-major-league-scouts/9540836002/
“credible” changeup lol
In total, between 2 season’s at Salve Regina Univ. and 2 years of summer ball, he had 239 K’s and 61 BB’s in 160 IP.
At least seems there’s some upside there.
Left handed pitcher with upside? I can get behind that.