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Blue Jays select Hedbert Perez in minor league portion of Rule 5 draft
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Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Dec 10, 2025, 16:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 10, 2025, 15:35 EST
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Prospects tend to flame out all the time.
In MLB Pipeline’s 2021 update, Hedbert Perez ranked as the Milwaukee Brewers’ third-best prospect thanks to 55-grade hit tool, a 60-grade run tool, and 55-fielding and arm tools. He steadily progressed down the list in the following years until he wasn’t even on the list in 2024 and 2025.
Well, on Wednesday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays took a flier on the 22-year-old former top prospect, selecting the outfielder in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. They also selected Travis Kuhn, but more on him later in the article. As you likely know, the Jays also drafted Spencer Miles in major league portion of the Rule 5 draft.
The 2021 season saw Perez slash .333/.394/.575 with six home runs with the Brewers’ Arizona Complex League team. He hit a bit of a roadblock in Single-A, but finished the season with a 106 wRC+. Despite hitting 15 home runs in 2022, Perez finished with a 78 wRC+ in Single-A in 2023. The outfielder’s 2023 season, also in Single-A, wasn’t any better, hitting six home runs in 257 plate appearances for a 76 wRC+.
By 2024, Perez was off the Brewers’ top prospect list entirely, getting just 79 plate appearances that season. The 22-year-old outfielder had a bit of a bounce-back year in 2025, slashing .209/.330/.411 with 14 home runs in 345 plate appearances with the Brewers’ High-A team, giving him a 108 wRC+. It was the first time he had an above-average wRC+ since the 2021 season.
At least stat wise, it’s easily to compare him to Yohendrick Piñango. Like Perez, Piñango had a strong start to his professional career, but had below-average numbers in the lower minors (not to the extent of Perez) over the next three seasons. Piñango finally figured out the High-A level in his age 22 season, finishing with a 197 wRC+ before his promotion to Double-A. Perez only had a 108 wRC+ and much less of a sample size in Double-A, but it was also in his age 22 season.
Now, Perez likely won’t have the type of ascent that Piñango did, despite ranking high on a team’s top 30 list in years past. Rule 5 picks rarely work out, much less in the minor league portion, but it’s a good flier to take, and the Jays have shown that they can get the best out of a struggling player.
As for Kuhn, he’s a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher with a hard fastball and good slider. He’s never made it above the Double-A level, and had a 4.78 ERA and 5.58 FIP in 52.2 innings pitched last season,  with a 17.8 K% and 11.2 BB%. His K% dropped from 26.8% last season.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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