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ST. PETERSBURG -- It wouldn’t be totally accurate to say the Rays have “fixed” Freddy Peralta since he joined the team prior to the Trade Deadline six weeks ago. “I don’t see it that way,” Peralta said. “I wasn’t broken.” It might be more realistic to say the Rays have found Freddy Peralta. Or at least helped him rediscover the form that made him such an effective starter for the Brewers and now makes him such a pivotal figure for the playoff-bound Rays. Peralta has won each of his last four starts against the Tigers, Mets, Braves and Astros, allowing only two runs with 17 strikeouts and four walks in 23 innings during that time. On Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field, he struck out four over five hitless innings as the Rays cruised to a 14-4 win, their fifth victory in their last six games. Tampa Bay’s starters have posted a 1.27 ERA while allowing only four extra-base hits during that stretch, which includes two outings by Peralta against teams that are currently leading their respective divisions. After a disappointing stint with the Mets to begin the season, Peralta is pitching at a high level in critical games for the Rays down the stretch. “We're happy that he's here, we're happy that he's been here since the Deadline, and we're really happy that he's getting his confidence back again on the mound,” first baseman Jonathan Aranda said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “He's just a guy that has a lot of confidence in himself, and we have a lot of confidence with him as well.” |
“Confidence” is a word Peralta has understandably come back to more often the longer this stretch has gone on. It’s important to him. It may have been shaken by his performance in New York as his arm angle dropped, the extension in his delivery diminished and his once-elite production declined. But he’s raised his release point, regained his extension and reminded everyone -- including himself -- what he’s capable of. “When I think about it, it's what I have done in the past,” Peralta said. “It’s just that sometimes, for some reason, one or the other, you can get out of rhythm and you forget about things. And I wasn't able to come back to the Freddy that I've been in the past. “For some reason, when I got here, when I sat here with [pitching coach] Kyle [Snyder] and [bullpen coach Jorge Moncada] and [manager Kevin Cash], they told me, like, ‘You're gonna do what you want to do here, and we are going to help you to do it. And we know what you need to do to make those adjustments.’ “We just put everything on the table. I just followed all the instructions, and it's what I am right now.” What he is right now is not exactly the same pitcher he was in Milwaukee, but it’s pretty close. |
In six starts since Aug. 16, his third outing with the Rays and his first with his new team at Tropicana Field, Peralta’s average arm angle has been 36.1 degrees, closer to his 38.4-degree mark with the Brewers in 2025 than the 33-degree figure he had with the Mets. During that same stretch, his average release extension was 6.7 feet, compared to 6.8 feet with the Brewers last season and 6.5 feet during his time in New York. Unsurprisingly, “Fastball Freddy” has seen his signature heater come back to life with those changes. In his last six starts, his average fastball velocity has ticked up to 94.4 mph, compared to 94.2 mph with the Mets and 94.8 mph last year. Opponents were hitting .270 against his fastball before the trade, and they’ve hit just .180 against it since Aug. 16. There’s something else happening with Peralta, too. Falling in line with the Rays’ increased changeup usage staff-wide -- and their improved results with that offspeed pitch -- Peralta has upped his changeup usage from 20.8% with the Mets to 28.8% with the Rays. Opponents were batting .280 against it before the deal, but they’ve hit .097 off it over the last month. “He's nasty. I'm glad. I love to see him succeed,” second baseman Richie Palacios said. “I love the energy he brings, and he's just an amazing guy and an amazing pitcher.” |
Peralta said it’s been a product of finding consistency in his work, believing in himself and the people around him and trusting his defense. Third baseman Junior Caminero got him out of a jam on Sunday, for instance, with a nice play after Peralta loaded the bases on three walks in the third inning. “I've been seeing the game different because [of] how my year started and how it's been since I've been here, and I think that's been the key for me,” Peralta said. “Just trusting in the process, controlling what I can control and just letting everything else take care of itself.” Fixed? Not really. Just Freddy. “I can tell you that they helped me to get back on track,” he said. “A lot of credit to the people around here, because they've been able to help me and make me feel the way that I’ve been feeling.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
• Hopefully you’ve read our story off the Rays’ clincher, a moment they expected even when nobody else did. Read more>> • Who better than Caminero to send the Rays back to the postseason? Read more>> • Want information on Rays playoff tickets? Read more>> • There was no post-clinch hangover for the Rays on Saturday. Read more>> • Brody Hopkins is here, and his stuff is electric. Read more>> • The Rays are No. 4 in MLB.com’s latest Power Rankings. Read more>> |
Last week, three Rays reached impressive and rare milestones. Chandler Simpson stole his 40th base, Caminero hit his 40th home run, and Bryan Baker picked up his 40th save. How rare is it for the same team to have a 40-homer hitter, a 40-steal runner and a 40-save closer in one season? Well, it hadn’t happened in 15 years! The last team to feature three players in that unique 40-40-40 club was the 2011 Yankees. That season, Mariano Rivera recorded 44 saves, Curtis Granderson hit 41 homers, and Brett Gardner stole 49 bases. |
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