Cesar Perdomo has barely had time to settle into the majors, and already he’s forcing the Giants to think differently about their pitching future.
The 24-year-old left-hander turned in a sharp first start on Sunday, carving through the New York Mets for six scoreless innings. He gave up just three hits and one walk while striking out four, and he did it with a calm that stood out right away. San Francisco still lost 4-2, but Perdomo’s outing was the kind that gets people talking.
That followed four innings of one-run ball in his September 1 debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which means he has allowed just one earned run over his first 10 big league innings. In a small sample, sure, but a loud one.
Perdomo began his major league run out of the bullpen when rosters expanded on September 1. Against Pittsburgh, he gave up one run on three hits across four innings, with four strikeouts and one walk. That showing opened the door to Sunday’s start, and he made the most of it.
He finished by retiring 11 of the final 12 hitters he faced, and the Mets never pushed a runner into scoring position against him. Giants manager Tony Vitello liked what he saw.
"There was a lot of poise to him," Vitello said. "He showed a lot of savvy. He looked like a veteran pitching,” per Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Through 10 innings, Perdomo owns a 0.90 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP, with eight strikeouts and only two walks. Opposing hitters have managed just a .182 average against him.
What makes this even more intriguing is that Perdomo didn’t exactly dominate the minors this season. Across his minor league work this year, he went 9-6 with a 4.43 ERA.
At Double-A Richmond, the numbers were better: a 3.98 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 90 strikeouts over 72.1 innings. But Triple-A was a tougher climb. In nine starts there, he posted a 5.10 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.
That’s why nobody should rush to declare anything about his long-term place in the Giants’ rotation. But after this first week, it’s hard not to see why the conversation has changed.
Perdomo has done enough to earn more chances.
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