The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets in the middle of what was his worst season as a starter.
Peralta had a 4.99 ERA with the Mets after they acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason. He looked nothing like the All-Star he was with the Brewers, and in a losing season, the Mets traded him before he hit the open market.
The Rays have a reputation for developing pitching and fixing struggling pitchers, and they can add Peralta's name to the list of players they have now gotten back on track. After a rough start with the Rays, Peralta now has a 3.60 ERA in nine starts with his new team. In his last five games, he has a 0.94 ERA.
Three of his last five starts have been quality starts, and the Rays have upped his changeup usage. They have also raised his arm angle to add some more life back to his fastball. Neither of these changes seems hard to identify, so it raises this question: why did the Mets not do it?
Peralta's midseason turnaround is not a good look for the Mets' coaching and pitching development. The Mets thought they were getting an ace, but were unable to make the changes needed to get him back to the top of his game. Now, the Rays look to have a reliable arm with postseason experience for their postseason run.
