Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969 in Fontana, California) is a Major League Baseball closer who plays for the Detroit Tigers. Previously, he played with the California and Anaheim Angels (1995-2004).

Percival attended the University of California, Riverside and was drafted by the then California Angels in the 6th round of the 1990 amateur draft originally as a catcher. He batted .200 in his only season as a catcher and was converted to a pitcher when it was discovered that his return throws were actually faster than the pitches he was receiving. He made his major league debut as a reliever in 1995, and was mostly used as a setup man for Lee Smith. A year later, he was the regular closer for the Angels and had 36 saves with 100 strikeouts in 74 innings. He got a career-high 42 saves in 1998, and enjoyed his best season in 2002 with a 4-1 record, 40 saves, 68 strikeouts, and a 1.92 ERA.

A four-time All-Star, Percival has compiled a 29-38 record with a 2.99 ERA in 586.2 innings. His 316 saves put him at 12th on the all-time list in Major League Baseball. However, his strikeouts per nine innings have gone down considerably from when he was an elite closer. In 2001, his K/9 rate was 11.08. In 2002, 10.86. In 2003, 8.76. And last year, it dropped all the way to 5.98. His fastball, once clocked consistently at 96 -100 MPH, was down to about 92 - 93 MPH in 2004, due to a degenerative hip condition that first appeared in 2003, which forced him to alter his pitching delivery. This could be the reason why the Angels decided it was Francisco Rodríguez's time.

Percival signed with Detroit as a free agent following the 2004 season.

Fact

• Percival is one of five pitchers in the Angels' 44-year history to strike out at least 100 batters in a season without starting a game (100 in 1996). The others are Mark Clear (105, 1980), DeWayne Buice (109, 1987), Bryan Harvey (101, 1991) and Francisco Rodríguez (123, 2004).

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