Eury's ride from airport ahead of debut? The reigning NL Cy
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It’s Eury Pérez Day in Miami.
Pérez, the Marlins’ top prospect and the No. 10 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, is set to make his big league debut Friday night against the Reds at loanDepot park.
The 6-foot-8 right-hander received the life-changing news on Wednesday, with a little help from Sandy Alcantara. The two have formed a tight bond as mentor and protégé. They trained together during the offseason and were inseparable this spring as Pérez experienced his first Major League camp.
So, when the exceptionally talented rookie arrived at Miami International Airport on Thursday night, who was there to greet him? Alcantara, of course.
"So I was sitting at my house, just watching TV," Alcantara said on Friday. "My agent called me and said, 'Hey, can we go to the airport to pick up Eury?' And I said, 'Yes, why not?' Just get there and surprise him."
And the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner imparted some important advice to his new teammate as he prepares to deal with some inevitable nervousness Friday.
“Just enjoy the moment, because this is going to be the one time in a lifetime, and you only live it once,” Alcantara said during the drive from the airport. “After tomorrow, you are a Major Leaguer from there on. When you are out there on the mound, just do the same thing you were doing in the Minors.”
The 20-year-old Pérez, who will be the youngest pitcher in Marlins franchise history, owns a 2.85 ERA with 260 strikeouts through 186 career innings in the Minors. This season, he has recorded a 2.32 ERA and limited Double-A hitters to a .148 average over 31 frames.