Freddy Peralta was having a nightmare season with the New York Mets. His fastball was flat, his confidence was gone, and he posted a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts. It looked like his career was free-falling before free agency. But then, the Tampa Bay Rays took a gamble on him at the trade deadline.
When Peralta joined the Rays, they didn’t just throw him out there. They sat down with him, his coaches, and catchers to figure out what went wrong. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder and bullpen coach Jorge Moncada studied old footage and noticed Peralta used to pitch from the stretch, not the windup he’d been using with the Mets. So, they switched him back to what felt natural.
They also moved him to the third-base side of the rubber, sped up his delivery, and introduced drills to build leg strength. These small tweaks made a huge difference. Peralta’s fastball regained its bite, and he started throwing more changeups, which plays right into the Rays’ strengths.
The results were amazing. In his last six regular-season starts, he allowed only three runs over 34 innings, earning AL Pitcher of the Month. In the playoffs, he’s been a ace, shutting down the Yankees and Guardians. Now, he’s set to start Game 6 of the ALCS, aiming to propel the Rays to the World Series.
“I just feel like myself again,” Peralta said. The Rays’ support has turned his season around, and he’s ready to seize the moment.
