It all began with a single stat-packed sentence—and it had just enough spice to send Baseball X into a frenzy. ESPN insider Jeff Passan, known for his sharp takes and unfiltered MLB insight, posted a scouting line about the Pirates prospect Edgleen Perez that some might have scrolled past. However, one retired player was not letting that slide. The statement “excellent swing decisions” for a kid hitting just .209 in A-ball? That did not sit well with him.
Doug Mientkiewicz, the former World Series champ, came in hot. “Man, what a time to be alive when a non-baseball person writes ‘excellent swing decisions’ for a guy hitting .209 in A ball,” he replied. That statement alone told fans everything—they were about to see another showdown in the ongoing war between ex-stars and stat-loving writers. Mientkiewicz was not done either. The veteran added, “I swear some scouts and writers will say anything to sound somewhat intelligent to non-baseball people.” And in that way, the fire was lit.
However, this was not just the former Pirates star’s battle to fight. That’s when another former star, Jeff Frye, who goes by Fryedaddy/Frito on X, jumped in swinging. In his signature no-filter style, the veteran lobbed this grenade at the keyboard analysts: “Let’s call it like it is…it’s pure jealousy! They hate us because they ain’t us!”
The former Red Sox star did not stop there. Frye directly targeted the self-proclaimed trainers and digital swing gurus: “No matter how many players @Teacherman1986 or @thewheelhousenj claim does what they teach or claim they work with, they will never be one of us! We are part of the @MLBPA fraternity and we are proud of that because we earned it!”
That “we earned it” part? That was the real jab. It was at the core of the frustration many ex-players feel—that their sweat equity in MLB is being undervalued and sometimes overwritten by analysts who have never set foot inside a pro dugout.
Although Jeff Passan previously clapped back, saying his description “came from a scout,” in response to Mientkiewicz’s argument. But once Frye stood behind the 2004 World Champion, the latter reignited his feud with the ESPN insider. Echoing Frye’s words, Mientkiewicz wrote, “Screams jealousy. Within 2 sentences you can tell if they have ever been on a team or in a clubhouse. Anytime an ex player comments it’s ALWAYS ‘Why are you angry?’” accompanied by laughing emojis.
What’s even better is this guy blocks everyone yet loves to post what we are doing and saying. Screams jealousy. Within 2 sentences you can tell if they have ever been on a team or in a clubhouse. Anytime an ex player comments it’s ALWAYS “
Why are you angry?” cause it…
— Doug Mientkiewicz (@DMEASrecruiting) August 3, 2025
Now this was a dagger with meaning. Because at the base of it, that is not just about Edgleen Perez. It is about a deeper divide—experience vs. analytics, the field vs. the feed, and grit vs graphs.
While the war between them kept fans entertained, the original spark—Perez—became more than just a prospect thrown into the crossfire. The 19-year-old suddenly found himself in the middle of one of the most talked-about trades of the deadline and a philosophical clash over player evaluation.
Who is Edgleen Perez, the prospect behind the firestorm?
For most fans, Edgleen Perez was just another prospect buried in a midseason trade alert. However, once Perez’s name got pulled into a digital tug-of-war, the attention followed quickly. At just 19, he was part of a three-player package the Pirates got from the Yankees in exchange for All-Star closer David Bednar. Along with fellow catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores and outfielder Brian Sanchez, Perez was brought in as a future star—though, not necessarily one expected to stir debate.
Statistically, he is far from a showstopper—at least so far. With a .209 batting average, zero home runs, and a .604 OPS across 301 at-bats this season in Single-A Bradenton, the surface data highlight a raw player still developing physically and at the plate. Perez’s career average in the minors is .241 over 606 ABs, highlighting modest progress; however, nothing attention-worthy. So when Passan referenced his “excellent swing decisions,” some, especially ex-stars like Mientkiewicz and Frye, raised eyebrows, arguing that decision-making means little when results don’t follow.
Credit: Edgleen Perez’s Instagram handle
Still, it is clear that scouts—and the Yankees, before trading Perez—saw power in him. His versatility as a catcher and first baseman, his young age, and advanced pitch recognition capabilities are likely what drew praise despite his lack of pop at the plate. Development in the minors is not linear, and the Pirates often bet on tools and growth potential rather than short-term output. That’s what makes Perez’s case so divisive—he’s either an under-the-radar gem or the latest example of analytics inflating a profile that’s yet to show real production.
Whether or not Perez becomes a future contributor in Pittsburgh, one thing’s for sure—he’s already become the symbol of a much larger conversation in baseball. And for a 19-year-old who just got assigned to Bradenton a few days ago, that’s a lot to carry.
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