Williams Jerez

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2011
R:  248/285/310, 129 AB, 2 2B, 3 3B, 6 BB, 33 K, 5-8 SB

Jerez played center in the GCL and struggled to make contact.

2012
A-:  241/276/277, 83 AB, 3 2B, 3 BB, 13 K, 3-4 K

The Red Sox moved Jerez up to the New York-Penn League, where he played center.  He continued to struggle at the plate, then missed the last month and a half of the season.

2013
A-:  176/203/235, 119 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3 BB, 23 K, 4-5 SB

Jerez returned to the NYPL and struggled more than ever.  After the season, Boston moved him to the mound.

2014
R:  3-1-1, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 24.1 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 10.0 K/9
A-:  1-1-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 11.7 K/9

Jerez started off in the GCL, pitching in a multi-inning relief role.  He dominated there and the Red Sox moved him up to the NYPL.  In five outings, he had more trouble, partly with his control, but he continued to miss a lot of bats.

2015
A:  3-1-3, 2.06 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 9.8 K/9
A+:  1-0-0, 0.73 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 8.8 K/9
AA:  1-2-1, 3.65 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 37.0 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 7.5 K/9

Jerez moved quickly up through the Sox’ system, spending the first two months in low A before being promoted to high A and then AA.  His numbers were good but not overwhelming; the low A ERA is misleading because nearly half the runs he allowed were unearned.  Boston added him to the 40-man roster after the season, while Baseball America rated him 30th in the Sox’ system.

2016
AA:  1-6-0, 4.71 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 65.0 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

Jerez spent the season in AA, where he wasn’t that effective, although he did improve a good deal late in the season.  He had only a mild platoon split.  Boston outrighted him after the season.

2017
AA:  2-0-4, 3.16 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 8.2 K/9
AAA:  0-2-0, 3.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 7.5 K/9

Back in AA, Jerez improved, although he didn’t dominate.  The Red Sox moved him up to AAA for August.  On the season, he had a big platoon split, with an opponents’ OPS of .815 by right-handed hitters and .485 by left-handed hitters.  Boston put him back on the 40-man roster after the season.

2018
AAA (Bos):  2-1-5, 3.63 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 52.0 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 11.9 K/9
AAA (LAA):  0-1-1, 17.18 ERA, 2.73 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 12.3 K/9
MLB (LAA):  0-0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 15.0 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

Jerez spent most of the season with Boston in AAA.  He again pitched well without dominating, although he did have a high K rate.  At the trade deadline, the Red Sox sent him to the Angels for Ian Kinsler.  The Angels called him up soon after the trade and he spent most of the season’s last two months with them.  He had a much smaller platoon split in the minors and a large reverse platoon split in the majors.

2019
AAA (SF):  4-4-2, 3.86 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 56.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 9.8 K/9
MLB (SF):  1-0-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 6.2 IP, 8.1 BB/9, 5.4 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 7.36 ERA, 2.18 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 7.4 BB/9, 12.3 K/9

Just before the start of the season, the Angels traded Jerez to the Giants for Chris Stratton.  He spent most of the season in AAA, with several brief callups during which he struggled to throw strikes.  In AAA, he continued to pitch fairly well without dominating.  He had a large reverse platoon split, allowing a .754 OPS to left-handed hitters but just .574 to right-handed hitters.  The Giants designated Jerez for assignment in September and the Pirates claimed him.  Jerez got into six games with the Pirates, throwing less than four innings, and pitched poorly.

With their pitching staff in a shambles and their farm system unable to produce major league quality pitching, the Pirates spent much of 2019 frantically claiming other teams’ rejects.  Few if any of them, including Jerez, had track records suggesting pitchers likely to be good major leaguers, but the Pirates’ only criterion seems to be cheapness.  Jerez will be part of an extensive sorting-out process in the off-season and, if he’s still around, during spring training.  He has no options left and the Pirates designated him for assignment after the season.  He cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA.