The New York Mets acquired Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, hoping he could be their ace.
Peralta was a two-time All-Star with the Brewers, but struggled in Queens. He had a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for the Mets and was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. With the Rays, he got back on track, posting a 0.79 ERA in his final six regular-season starts and winning the American League Championship Series MVP Award.
Even though Peralta did not pitch well for the Mets, he seemingly made a strong impression on his teammates. Juan Soto sent a message on Instagram about Peralta after he won the ALCS MVP.
"The best in the room…didn’t I tell you,” he wrote in Spanish on his Instagram story.
Peralta has always been regarded as a great teammate and as someone who has a joyful energy. Even after he was traded from the Mets, he thanked fans, teammates and the Mets organization for giving him a chance.
Peralta will now have a chance to pitch in the World Series for the first time in his career, and will get to do so against the team that developed him into a star pitcher. After that, he is set up for a major payday in free agency.