2023 MLB Fantasy: Don’t Buy Stock in Diamondbacks Infielder Geraldo Perdomo Just Yet
What to make of Geraldo Perdomo’s hot start.
After a .195 season in 2022, Arizona Diamondbacks 3B/SS Geraldo Perdomo has been one of the more productive infielders in all of fantasy baseball thus far in 2023. It’s a sharp 180, but should fantasy owners take stock in a former top prospect who’s OPS ranks among the game’s best? No, and here’s why.
Related: 2023 MLB Fantasy: Dodgers 2B Miguel Vargas is Gaining Steam
A Look at Perdomo
Diamondbacks SS Geraldo Perdomo played in 148 games for Arizona last season, but hit just .195/.285/.262 in his rookie campaign. 2023, however, has been much different for the 23-year-old infielder.
Through 24 games (77 PA), Perdomo is hitting .409/.473/.636 with two home runs, ten extra base hits, and 17 runs driven in for the Diamondbacks. Those numbers are quite the turnaround for Perdomo, who entered the day on May 4 in the top ten in the Majors in bWAR (1.6). Among all shortstops in MLB, only Wander Franco (1.8) has a greater bWAR than Perdomo.
The numbers are quite strong, but are quite out of the ordinary for the young shortstop. Perdomo’s track record, coupled with his batted ball metrics, should make one take a step back before looking to pick up the infielder.
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Let’s break down Perdomo’s game a bit more. For one, Perdomo’s 1.109 OPS is impressive — let’s just get that out of the way. However, he’s doing that with a Hard Hit% of just 18.2%, one of the lowest in MLB. Among players who have at least 75 plate appearances, just one other player (Conner Capel) has a lower Hard Hit% than Perdomo. That’s not a recipe for success.
Perdomo doesn’t have a lot of natural power, and never hit more than six in a MiLB season. While his ability to put the ball in play and taking pitches is impressive, don’t expect the 23-year-old to be a reliable contributor if you’re looking for home runs.
Additionally, Perdomo doesn’t get much time against left-handed pitchers. Arizona does have Nick Ahmed, who’s seen more plate appearances in 2023 against lefties than righties. Perdomo doesn’t have terrible stats against left-handers, but he’s a better hitter against right-handers.
While it’s tempting — just from looking at Perdomo’s early returns — to scoop up a young infielder who’s posted good numbers to start the 2023 season, expect the young D-Backs infielder’s stats to come back down. While he might be able to continue to hit well given his bat-to-ball skills, the way the D-Backs use him and his less-than-stellar pop do hinder his value significantly. Not to mention, there are other players that should be readily available like Ezequiel Duran and CJ Abrams that can offer better and more consistent value, simply because those two have more intriguing tools and the opportunities to get more playing time at this juncture.
