Editor’s note: For the following article, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution emailed questions to Jose Perdomo through his agency, KLUTCH Sports Group. Because of the language barrier and his overall comfort, Perdomo preferred it this way. His responses, which he wrote in Spanish, were translated by Genesis Gonzalez, a client services executive for KLUTCH Sports Group.
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Jose Perdomo is your typical 17-year-old kid. He enjoys playing video games and watching baseball games online. And he loves spending time with his friends.
He is different, though, in many ways, beginning with this: The Braves signed him to a record $5 million signing bonus: This was the largest signing bonus for an international prospect in Braves history, and the most lucrative for any Venezuelan, ever, in the international market. And for a teenager, he seems humble and mature.
“My motivation comes from my family and thinking about my future,” Perdomo said.
The big-league Braves are in North Port as they prepare for the season, but Perdomo, the Braves’ marquee international signing, is in the Dominican Republic. He left home in Venezuela to begin his professional career at the club’s academy.
“It’s difficult being away from home, but I’m doing what I love, thank God,” Perdomo said.
But Perdomo, a shortstop, is no stranger to discomfort. At 12 years old, he left home to play for an academy that was elsewhere in his home country. He eventually traveled to Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the United States for baseball. Around that time, COVID-19 hit, and Perdomo spent more than two years trying to achieve his dream of signing with an organization.
This was, as he put it, a “really hard process.” The Braves were one of more than 10 organizations interested in signing Perdomo, he said. But his parents and agent helped him through the process. Perdomo is grateful that he signed with the Braves because they have other Venezuelan players – such as reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and Luis Guanipa, an outfielder signed in last year’s international period.
When could Braves fans see Perdomo in the majors?
“With hard work, dedication, focus and God’s favor,” Perdomo said, “I would say in about three to four years.”
As a person, Perdomo said he’s “easygoing, grateful, humble and blessed.” He credited God, his mother and father, and his experiences to this point for shaping him into who he is at a young age.
Credit: KLUTCH Sports Group
Credit: KLUTCH Sports Group
Another hobby of his, outside of the usual teenager things: Watching videos that teach the English language. At the Braves’ academy in the Dominican Republic, Perdomo has been watching English classes. He’s also taking other courses remotely as he continues his education.
The Braves, of course, felt comfortable enough with Perdomo’s makeup – the baseball word for character – to sign him to a large bonus. But they did that because they believe in him as a player.
The Braves love Perdomo’s bat. They also believe he can stick at shortstop. Perdomo described himself as a “competitive player that loves to work hard day to day to get better at anything that needs improvement in my game and on the field.”
Perdomo already ranks among the Braves’ top position-player prospects. The Braves have intriguing pitchers in their system, but they’re relatively thin in terms of position players.
Perdomo’s favorite baseball players are Carlos Correa in MLB, and Juniel Querecuto in Venezuela. Correa is the Twins’ shortstop, and Querecuto, a Venezuelan infielder, has had brief stints in the majors while also playing in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Perhaps Perdomo could, at some point, become one of the faces of Venezuelan baseball.
“He’s a young kid,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Hopefully we can develop him.”
Jonathan Cruz, the Braves’ director of Latin American scouting, said this of Perdomo – and the years spent scouting him – in January: “I don’t like to use the term ‘lotto tickets,’ but no one can tell me with a straight face that they know what they’re getting into with a 13- and 14-year-old. You just don’t know if they’re gonna keep growing, you don’t know if they’re not going to grow. There’s a lot of factors that you have to consider that might go wrong.
“With that said, the floor on the bat is just incredibly high for his age. He exudes confidence when he’s hitting. We got plenty of information. We try to overmatch the kid all the time, and he showed the ability to adapt and overcome, which is something we haven’t seen in a long time in a kid that young.”
One day, Perdomo could wear the Braves uniform and cap. He could someday be the player fans are screaming for at Truist Park.
His message to Braves fans in the meantime?
“To show 100% support to the team and always trust in their players,” Perdomo said.
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