SAN DIEGO — Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo made it clear he wanted to keep playing despite the team’s elimination from postseason contention, and Perdomo added to his awards case with a 20th home run during Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres.
The D-backs (80-81) opted to keep Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte out of the lineup after they had played banged up during Arizona’s push for a Wild Card spot, but Perdomo was back in the leadoff spot to play a 160th of 161 games.
He has been chasing some round numbers while making a case to show up on MVP ballots, including 20 home runs and 100 RBIs. He is at 99 RBIs and 98 runs scored with one game left to play.
Perdomo said he does not set personal goals like hitting 20 home runs, that he is more team-goal oriented. But reaching 20 meant something to important people in Perdomo’s life who work with him on his craft.
That group includes Marte and Cleveland Guardians superstar Jose Ramirez, who are two of the best switch-hitters in Major League Baseball. Perdomo also mentioned his cousin, Farlin Perdomo, who pitches to Perdomo during the offseasons.
“(Farlin) always puts a goal like, ‘Oh, just give me 15 home runs and 80 RBIs and hit .285,’” Perdomo said. “He always says something like this and I’m just smiling. … I’m just probably happy because Marte and Jose Ramirez, they always work with me in the offseason, we’re always talking to each other and I know they are proud of me.”
Geraldo Perdomo blasts his 20th home run of the season, driving in his 99th run.
The last D-backs SS to hit 20 home runs in a season was Stephen Drew in 2008. pic.twitter.com/UpAtoifltn
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) September 28, 2025
Perdomo went down and roped a splitter from Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui, sending it into the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field at Petco Park.
The switch-hitter entered this season without a home run batting right-handed, and yet he has six this year. That matches his previous career high for home runs in general over a single season. And he did so with a bone bruise in his left hand that bothers him against left-handed pitching.
Perdomo credited what he’s learned from Marte and Ramirez to add another level to his offensive game.
“Every little detail, I take it,” Perdomo said. “The way I saw Marte, how he hits right-handed … I take a little bit advantage of that.”
Manager Torey Lovullo said he sees a player with more in the tank in terms of home runs, and he’s expecting Perdomo to eclipse 20 in the future.
The 100-RBI mark, Perdomo said, is something Lovullo, bench coach Jeff Banister and his teammates are hoping he reaches. Lovullo said he might drop Perdomo slightly in the batting order for opportunities to drive in runs.
“It gave me great satisfaction for him,” Lovullo said watching the 20th home run. “I know how hard he’s working and he just goes out there with such a professionalism every single day, and it’s contagious. … A lot of people were very proud of that, put in hard work with him. … He deserves that moment.”
Geraldo Perdomo’s numbers suggest he should receive MVP votes
Perdomo became only the third player in Diamondbacks history who played most of their games at shortstop and hit 2o home runs in a season, joining Jay Bell (20 in 1998) and Stephen Drew (21 in 2008).
Add in 99 RBIs, 98 runs and 27 steals, and Perdomo is the first player in franchise history to have a season quite like this, statistically.
Juan Soto of the Mets is the only other player in MLB this season with each of those benchmarks. Three players did so last year: Shohei Ohtani, Ramirez and Bobby Witt Jr.
Ohtani is the favorite to win National League MVP again this season, but there is a case for Perdomo to land within at least the top five if not the top three.
Just looking at WAR, Perdomo leads NL position players on Baseball Reference (6.9 entering Saturday) and is second to Ohtani on FanGraphs (7.1). While he’s had his lapses on defense, he still grades out as an above average shortstop with four outs above average and three defensive runs saved — although Perdomo was critical of his defense pregame.
The Athletic’s Keith Law, as a testimonial, does not have an MVP vote this year (it rotates), but he made a mock ballot with Perdomo second to Ohtani and Carroll third.
The Diamondbacks are not a playoff team, but where would they be without Perdomo ascending to stardom this season? A team that sold at the trade deadline had legitimate chances to make the postseason over the final week of the season. Since the deadline, Perdomo slashed .321/.426/.534 for an OPS of .960 (seventh in MLB). Add in his defense, and Perdomo by fWAR is the most valuable player in the league since Aug. 1 at 3.2.
