Sep 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Given how poorly the first half of his season went, few could have imagined Freddy Peralta getting the ball to start Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday night and potentially giving the Tampa Bay Rays a 2-0 series lead over the New York Yankees.
But when it comes to the New York Mets, the baseball gods always seem to have a sense of humor.
The veteran right-hander’s short stay in Queens was a disastrous one after he was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers. Just one year after 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, Peralta bombed with the Mets, posting a 4.99 ERA across 22 starts. With their postseason hopes over by July, David Stearns sold at the deadline, and Peralta was one of them. He was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays for a trio of prospects.
“In the case of Freddy, we were unable to get him to do what Tampa, through their processes, has been able to get him to do. I think the goals were the same; we just couldn’t quite get him over the hump,” Stearns said during end-of-season availability on Sept. 28. “There could be a variety of different factors for that… What Tampa ultimately got him to do from the earliest point of perspective, from a usage perspective, we were aiming toward the same thing. I think Freddy was aiming toward the same thing. We just couldn’t quite get him there.”
The Rays have always had a knack for maximizing their talent. It’s why they have the American League’s best record this season and are in the playoffs for the sixth time in the last eight years despite having one of the smallest payrolls in the majors.
They found a way to get Peralta back on track. Over his final six starts of the season, he posted a 0.79 ERA, while allowing an average of three hits per start.
“I was happy over there,” Peralta said of his time with the Mets. “Obviously, I wasn’t in the spot that I wanted to be when we talk about how my numbers were. But this is baseball. Everything changed when I got traded. I’ve been treated [in Tampa] as a king, and I feel really good about it. They work with me really well here…
“Since I got here, I felt something I was looking for, which is energy, the way that the boys play the game.”
If Peralta can carry over his end-of-season success into Monday night’s clash against Yankees ace and Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler, the Rays have to like their chances of taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five ALDS.
For more on Freddy Peralta, the Mets, and the Yankees, visit AMNY.com
