Jose Peraza: Mets "Bench Mob" Utility Player (2021)

Jose Francisco Peraza was born April 30th 1994 in Venezuela.

He signed as an international free agent with the Atlanta Braves in 2010. He went through the Braves minor leagues. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a three team deal. He made his big league debut on August 10th, hitting a triple in his first game. 

That December he was involved in
another three team deal, landing with the Cincinnati Reds.

Peraza spent four seasons with Reds, the all around played saw action at short, second & in the out field. He had his best year in 2019, batting .288 with 14 HRs 31 doubles 23 stolen bases & 58 RBIs with 85 runs scored. After falling to a .239 average the next year, he was let go to free agency. He spent the Covid 19 shortened season in Boston, batting .225 in 34 games.

Mets Career: In November of 2020 he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets. After starting out the season at AAA Syracuse, he was activated twice by the Mets in April. The first time to replace an injured J.D. Davis although he never played in a game. The second time on April 30th, when Luis Guillorme was placed on the IL. 

He made his Mets debut on May 2nd, coming in as a pinch hitter in the top of the 8th inning, with the Mets down 4-2 to the Phillies in Philadelphia. His first Mets hit was an RBI base hit, in an inning where the Mets would score six runs. The Mets would win the game 8-7.

On May 12th, Peraza drove in two
runs in the Mets 7-1 win at Baltimore. On May 15th, he hit his first Mets HR, a three run blast in a loss at Tampa. 

On May 27th, in the first game of a double header in Colorado, he hit a HR scoring the only run, in a 1-0 Marcus Stroman win. Peraza's HR was one of just three hits the Mets got off German Marquez. He followed up with an RBI single & a bases loaded walk in the second game of the twin bill, as the Mets won it 4-2 to complete the sweep.

In June Perazza had more key hits, he homered in San Diego on June 5th in another Jacob deGrom shut out. The next day he had two more hits & scored two runs in the Mets 6-2 win. He hit two more HRs in in mid June both two run shots. 

On July 3rd, Peraza had two hits in the subway series, Mets win over the AL New York team, while scoring a run. The next day, with the Mets down 5-4 in the 9th, Pete Alonso tied the game with a HR off Aldoris Chapman. 

Peraza came in as a pinch hitter & blasted a bases loaded ground rule double to put the Mets ahead for good. The ball was caught by a fan & ruled interference, or it may have cleared the bases.

On July 7th, in yet another Mets
double header, Peraza hit a 7th inning HR, to tie the game against All Star reliever, Josh Hader & the Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets won it on Jeff McNeil's walk off hit.

Right after the All Star break he was placed in the 10 day IL with a fractured right middle finger. 

Peraza was batting just .205 but was hitting better than his average showed.

A key member pf the clubs "Bench Mob" he also had had 6 HRs 7 doubles 20 runs scored & 19 RBIs. The Mets used him at second base mostly but also at short & third when needed.