Marlins ace Eury Pérez struck out seven Nationals in three dominant spring innings, while touching 100.6 mph and leading Miami to a franchise-record 19 strikeouts.
The Miami Marlins may have fallen 7–5 to the Washington Nationals in Grapefruit League action on Tuesday, but the outing served as a reminder of just how electric Eury Pérez can be when he is on the mound.
The 21-year-old right-hander dominated in his three innings of work, striking out seven batters and helping lead a historic day for the Marlins’ pitching staff. In total, Miami pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts, according to Fish on First, the most recorded by the franchise in a single spring-training game since at least 2006.
Pérez set the tone early, overpowering a Nationals lineup that included established hitters like James Wood and CJ Abrams. Every hitter in Washington’s starting lineup struck out at least once, highlighting just how sharp Miami’s pitching staff looked throughout the afternoon.
The most eye-opening element of Pérez’s performance was his velocity. According to Statcast data, his four-seam fastball averaged 99 mph and topped out at 100.6, confirming the young ace’s elite arm strength remains fully intact.
Pérez leaned on the fastball frequently, throwing it 36 percent of the time, while prompting plenty of uncomfortable swings. Opponents produced a 55-percent whiff rate on swings against the pitch, showing how difficult it was for hitters to catch up to the high-end velocity.
But the fastball was only part of the story. Pérez showcased the full depth of his arsenal, mixing in sliders, changeups, curveballs, and sweepers to keep hitters guessing. His curveball proved particularly effective, generating a 56-percent called-strike plus whiff rate, while his changeup also produced swings and misses.
In total, Pérez generated 23 called strikes or whiffs across 55 pitches, a strong indicator of how well his stuff was playing.
While it is only spring training, Pérez’s outing was an encouraging sign for a Marlins rotation that will rely heavily on him in 2026. His ability to combine triple-digit velocity with multiple swing-and-miss secondary pitches makes him one of the most dangerous young arms in baseball.
If Tuesday’s performance is any indication, Pérez appears fully capable of leading Miami’s staff when the regular season begins.
And if the rest of the pitching staff follows his lead the way they did against Washington, the Marlins could enter the season with one of the most intriguing rotations in the National League.
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