Even though Jack Perkins lived in the Lehigh Valley at one time, he was too young at that point to really know much about baseball.

Now though, he is back in the Lehigh Valley and finds himself one step away from being a major leaguer as a member of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Officially listed as being from Florida, Perkins was born in Maryland. The family then moved to the Allentown area, then to Kentucky and finally, to Florida. Perkins’ mom and two uncles were born and raised in Allentown, but the only memory that Perkins has of the area is of Dorney Park and trips there when he was about four years old.

It wasn’t until Perkins was drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 2018 Draft - and the family looked at the Phillies minor league affiliates - to realize that the potential for him to pitch in Allentown was there.

“She [his mom, Karen] was pretty excited that I might be playing here, and they could come back to visit,” Perkins said. “They actually haven’t been here yet, but they did come up while I was in Reading.”

Perkins has only made two starts at the Triple-A level, and admittedly has some work to do if he is going to reach the majors, but his rise through the organization has been faster than the normal 11th rounder might expect, especially when one considers that last season was pretty much a lost year for young minor leaguers.

“When I was first drafted, there wasn’t a lot of movement, and then the organization got a new farm director [Josh Bonifay] and he said ‘we’re going to move guys. If you do well, you’re moving.’ I didn’t expect to be at Lehigh Valley by the end of this season, but I think I’ve earned it because I pitched well enough to be here,” the 24-year-old right-hander noted.

Perkins worked his way from Rookie League ball to High-A in the 2019 season, making nine starts and two relief appearances at the different levels. He finished the year 0-5, with a 4.12 ERA. After the 2020 season was canceled, Perkins returned this season and opened the year at High-A Jersey Shore, pitched most of the season at Reading and now has two starts under his belt with Lehigh Valley. Between the three levels, Perkins is 3-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 16 starts and three relief appearances.

“Overall, I have been pretty happy with how the season has gone,” said Perkins. “I work hard to just throw strikes and keep getting better every time out there. In my starts here, it seems like the strike zone is much smaller than at Double-A, so it has been kind of challenging.”

Looking back on last summer when there was no minor league baseball, Perkins recalls that he consciously made a point to enjoy the time away, but still worked on throwing and staying in shape while spending time with his family.

“It seemed like it was the first time I had any time off in the summer in 10 years, so it was nice to take a break. I kept throwing and working out and kept up with everything, but it was nice to spend a year at home,” said Perkins with a smile. “Hopefully, that will be my last summer off for a while.”

STILL HURTING ... Third baseman Alec Bohm was hit by a pitch a little over a week ago and is battling a sore wrist. He hasn’t played since Aug. 29, and there is no immediate timetable for when he might return to the lineup. Over the weekend, Bohm was able to take some ground balls at third base, which was the first time since his injury that he has been able to do so.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON ... Cam Bedrosian, 29, made his major league debut with the Angels in 2014 and has pitched in the majors in every season since then, although injuries have slowed his progress somewhat. Bedrosian, whose father, Steve, pitched four seasons in Philadelphia, made his Phillies debut on Sept. 3 by throwing a perfect inning against the Marlins. Two days later, he again faced Miami and gave up a walk but nothing else. The elder Bedrosian, now 63, won a Cy Young Award with the Phillies in 1987 and earned the nickname Bedrock. Cam Bedrosian goes by Little Bedrock and is wearing No. 40, the same number his father wore with the Phillies.