Champ or Chump: Wenceel Perez and Jonny DeLuca Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Wenceel Perez and Jonny DeLuca are two young outfielder looking to make their way in the big leagues as rookies. Brenton Kemp dives into both of their fantasy values for Week 11 and beyond.

The beauty of fantasy baseball lies in research, patience, and, of course, some luck. Even the most meticulous research can go awry whether it be due to health, underperformance, or both. Another beauty of fantasy baseball is to see some unheralded players rise to prominence at some point during the season, forcing fantasy managers to stay on their toes for the next big thing.

Such is the case with the Tigers' Wenceel Perez who earned a promotion due to a struggling Parker Meadows in the big league outfield. Perez has taken full advantage of this and has become a key contributor to both the team and fantasy managers. At the same time, following a trade from the Dodgers to the Rays, outfielder Jonny DeLuca looks to find his way in the big leagues after some impressive numbers during his minor-league tenure.

Let's take a look at both players and see if they are set to provide value to fantasy managers in Week 11 and beyond!

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Wenceel Perez (2B, OF, DET) - 7% Rostered

A staple in the Tigers' annual MLB Pipeline Top 30 Prospects for the last several seasons, Perez never entered 'top prospect' billing as he was surpassed by the likes of Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and many others in recent campaigns. However, the 24-year-old has added size to his frame and power to his bat to complement his electrifying speed and skills on the basepaths.

Perez put himself on a firm path to the big leagues with a big 2022 season between High-A and Double-A that saw him hit .295 with 14 homers, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 18 stolen bases, and a .903 OPS across 94 games. He enjoyed a strong 2023 season across three levels and 116 games, all but five of which came between Double-A and Triple-A before his .782 Triple-A OPS through eight games this season earned him his big-league promotion.

All Perez has done in his young big-league career is hit, batting .268 with three homers, six doubles, five triples, four stolen bases, and a .782 OPS across his first 154 trips to the plate. Recently, some regression has kicked in as he is hitting just .220 without a homer over his last 15 games. However, a 122 wRC+ through 40 MLB contests certainly isn't anything to sneeze at.

It's all about continued development with Perez but he has checked off a wealth of boxes over the last few seasons, even with his defensive versatility that has allowed fantasy managers to deploy him not only in the outfield but at the keystone, as well. His home run power is developing but Perez's elite speed should help yield plenty of stolen bases, doubles, and triples, especially in the spacious outfield confines of Comerica Park in Detroit, the top triples ballpark in the majors.

WENCEEL PÉREZ IS SPECIAL. pic.twitter.com/Uqb6bkxvZ3

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 19, 2024

Dynasty managers certainly have to believe Perez is a champ and worthy of an immediate, long-term investment while redraft managers would be wise to hop on board for a player who is hitting in the heart of the Tigers' lineup and should remain there barring a notable drop in offensive output.

Jonny DeLuca (OF, TB) - 3% Rostered

Expectations get heightened as a prospect when you are part of a trade package for an ace, such was the situation with Jonny DeLuca who came to Tampa from the Dodgers as part of a trade that sent righty Tyler Glasnow to the West Coast.

It's not difficult to see the attraction from a Rays perspective after the 25-year-old hit .294 with 17 homers, 12 stolen bases, and a tidy .956 OPS across 73 games between Double-A and Triple-A a season ago. All DeLuca needed was six games and a monstrous 1.090 OPS across six games with Triple-A Durham to make his Rays debut in the 2024 campaign.

JONNY ON THE SPOT

Jonny DeLuca goes deep for the 2nd straight game with a go-ahead 3-run homer to make it a 3-2 Bulls lead! pic.twitter.com/2Re3meVOST

— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) May 3, 2024

Not all has gone well since his promotion, however, as DeLuca is hitting just .182 with two homers, four steals, and a .617 OPS in 27 MLB contests. On the positive side, he has still drawn walks at a healthy 11.2% clip and his sprint speed ranks in the league's 96th percentile. He also sports a quality 10.3% barrel rate but has been held back by some bad luck in the form of a .214 BABIP. His 24.1% hard-hit rate isn't quite as impressive and his .317 xwOBACON could use some work.

Dynasty managers would be wise to keep a close eye on DeLuca's development with a team notorious for turning players into stars, regardless of prospect status and past performance. Redraft managers don't have the same luxury of time, labeling DeLuca a chump for the short term.

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