Freddy Peralta just got named the American League Championship Series MVP for the Rays, and honestly, if you told someone that back in April, they would’ve laughed you right out of the room. This dude was straight-up terrible for the Mets earlier this year, posting a brutal 4.99 ERA and a 4.45 FIP. The Mets’ season went so sideways they wound up last in the National League East, and Peralta’s performance was a huge part of that mess.
The Mets Got Fleeced, Or So It Seemed
The Mets made a big splash before the 2026 season, trading with the Brewers for Peralta and Tobias Myers. Remember all the hype? They raved about where Peralta would slot into their rotation, and he was even talking about a seven- or eight-year extension. That set the bar pretty high, maybe unfairly so. Sure, he had a shiny 2.70 ERA with the Brewers in 2025 and finished fifth in Cy Young voting, but his career track record and underlying metrics suggested that was more of an anomaly than a new normal. With the Mets in Queens, he threw only 113.0 innings across 22 starts and was just not good. His strikeout rate plummeted from 28.9 percent over his previous three Brewers seasons to a measly 21.4 percent with New York. His walk rate stayed about the same, but the overall results were much, much worse. Even when he was pitching well, Peralta couldn’t go deep in games. He had only one seven-inning start, rarely completed six innings, and often struggled to get through five. It was a disaster, plain and simple.
The Rays Found Gold In The Scrap Heap
Despite the rough go, the Mets actually made a smart move at the deadline, flipping Peralta to the Rays for a solid return of prospects. They grabbed Gary Gill Hill, a right-handed pitcher, Émilien Pitre, a middle infielder, and outfielder Aidan Smith, who lit it up with a .938 OPS in his brief time with the Cyclones. And then Peralta went to the Rays, and things changed dramatically. He fared much, much better, even though his strikeout rate was *even lower* than it was with the Mets. What gives? His walk and home run rates were lower with the Rays. Plus, the Rays play excellent defense, and his BABIP was significantly lower in the 55.1 innings he threw for them in the regular season. Maybe it was just luck, or that awesome defense, or maybe baseball just does strange things over short periods. Whatever it was, seeing Peralta not only thrive, but get named ALCS MVP for the Rays in the postseason, after what happened in Queens, is quite frankly hilarious. What a wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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