Freddy Peralta, the guy the Tampa Bay Rays snagged at the trade deadline, is already getting the rock for a must-win World Series Game 3. This isn’t just any start; it’s his first time on the mound since his absolutely stellar Game 6 of the ALCS, a performance that earned him ALCS MVP honors. Peralta was ecstatic, saying after Game 6, “It feels so good because the way that we’ve been working on the little things in general. Everybody, not only the pitching coach and all that, I mean everybody from the trainers, people that helped me to feel better with the massage and all that, it’s been amazing. Great communication. They’ve been awesome with me. They’ve been giving the best of themselves to make me feel good on the field every day.”
From Cy Young Contender to Deadline Fix
Man, it’s wild how fast things can change in baseball. A year ago, Peralta was leading the league with 17 wins, finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting with the Milwaukee Brewers. But, as they tend to do, the Brewers traded him in the offseason, a year before he was scheduled to hit free agency. He landed with the Mets, probably feeling pretty disappointed, and things just didn’t go his way. Then, BAM, he’s off to Tampa at the trade deadline.
But check out these numbers, it’s a total flip:
* **Starts:** 22 with Mets, 10 with Rays
* **Innings per start:** 5.2 with Mets, 5.5 with Rays
* **ERA:** 4.99 with Mets, 3.25 with Rays
* **WAR:** 1.2 with Mets, 0.8 with Rays
Rays manager Kevin Cash nailed it when he said Peralta’s time in New York probably wasn’t what he wanted, adding, “I give Freddy a lot of credit for being a good pitcher and being vulnerable enough to say, ‘I wasn’t comfortable doing some things and I want to get back to my strengths.’” Cash said Peralta “guided that through the entire two months he’s been with us, and he took off in September and has continued to take off in October.”
The Rays’ Secret Lab Delivers Again
You know how the Rays operate, right? They’ve got this knack for taking a guy, finding his strengths, and getting him to just *perform*. Peralta’s no exception. This isn’t some slump that just fixed itself. The Rays took him into their secret lab, made some legit changes, and now look at the results. The biggest one? His delivery.
They ditched his full windup. Seriously, they got him pitching exclusively from the stretch, a classic Rays move you see with guys like ace Drew Rasmussen. It simplifies everything, right? As soon as Peralta got to Tampa, that windup was GONE. And now, he’s back to being an ace, just in time for the biggest stage.
So, here we are. The Rays are down 2-0 in the World Series to the Brewers, and Peralta’s got the ball for Game 3, which marks the first World Series game at Tropicana Field since 2008. He’s feeling good, saying the work with everyone, from coaches to trainers, has been “amazing.” If anyone can help spark a comeback, it’s this dude, fresh off an ALCS MVP and pitching the best baseball of his career since landing in Tampa. All eyes are on Peralta tonight to see if he can keep this magical run going and get the Rays back in this thing!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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