Who should represent Detroit Tigers in MLB All-Star game?
The “Days of Roar” podcast debates which players from the Detroit Tigers should make an appearance in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, set for July 15.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Pérez is enjoying the best three-week stretch of his MLB career, as the switch-hitter continues to crush from both sides of the plate after returning from the lower back injury that sidelined him for the first two months of the 2025 season.
He summed up his confidence level.
“It’s so high right now,” he said.
Pérez entered the Tigers’ doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, June 19, hitting .316 with five home runs, two walks and 10 strikeouts in 18 games. The 25-year-old has historically performed better against right-handed pitchers (as a left-handed hitter) than against left-handed pitchers (as a right-handed hitter), but in these 18 games, he has been outstanding against both.
“He’s messing up some scouting reports,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
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In 2025, Pérez is hitting .289 with three home runs and a .925 OPS against right-handed pitchers (as a left-handed hitter). He’s also hitting .417 with two home runs and a 1.551 OPS against left-handed pitchers (as a right-handed hitter). He has stepped to the plate 49 times against righties and 13 times against lefties.
It’s a small sample, but the early switch-hit success is promising.
“He’s going to make contact, which is huge,” Hinch said, “but he’s hunting damage, which is encouraging, as he’s learning and trying to contribute in different ways.”
Pérez credits an adjustment at the plate — he closed his stance from the right side.
“I pulled my front foot in a little to stay more inside the ball,” Pérez said.
“I was opening so early that I was hitting ground balls and rolling over,” he added. “I turned my foot in a little bit to stay stable and get my barrel in the zone more and stay to the middle.”
Hinch credits Pérez’s daily switch-hit routine.
Since making his MLB debut in April 2024, Pérez has developed a pregame routine over his 130 games — preparing for opportunities against both righties and lefties. He has settled into life as a big leaguer, and he’s learning how to stay ready from both sides of the plate.
“The way we play, you got to put in a lot of time and a lot of effort and be ready,” Hinch said. “I think it’s underrated what a switch-hitter has to do in general.”
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Pérez showcased his ability to create damage from both sides Tuesday, June 17, against the Pirates at Comerica Park, driving in three runs in a 7-3 win. He hit a home run off left-hander Bailey Falter in the second inning, then hit a triple off right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski in the sixth inning.
He is more comfortable in his sophomore season.
“Last year was my first year,” Pérez said. “I was trying to adjust every day. This year, I got through that last year, so now I have a better routine and a better idea of what I’m doing now than what I was doing last year.”
Since Pérez’s May 27 return, his 1.057 OPS ranks eighth among 184 qualified players — ahead of Aaron Judge and trailing only Ronald Acuña Jr., Max Muncy, Elly De La Cruz, Willi Castro, Cal Raleigh, Marcus Semien and Juan Soto.
Is that level of performance sustainable?
Probably not.
But the switch-hitting Pérez has emerged as a key contributor for the Tigers’ offense throughout the past three weeks — not just as a left-handed hitter against righties, but also as a right-handed hitter against lefties.
“He’s always going to have the platoon advantage, which is the beauty of the switch-hitter,” Hinch said. “He generally is going to face more righties, just by sheer numbers, but he’s shown that he not only can defend himself but contribute from the right side.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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