EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Freddy Peralta's improbable turnaround was launched in a room adjacent to the visitors clubhouse inside Coors Field in early August. To that point, Peralta's season, his final opportunity to impress before reaching free agency this winter, was a nightmare. The right-hander recorded a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for the New York Mets. His fastball was lifeless. His confidence was shot.The Tampa Bay Rays acquired him at the trade deadline for three prospects despite the risk. Upon reporting to the team in Denver, Peralta was summoned to convene with some of his new brethren. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder, bullpen coach Jorge Moncada, the team's catchers and a few members of the front office were among those in attendance. They discussed ways to regain the form from his career season in 2025, when he made his second All-Star team with the Milwaukee Brewers -- from his delivery to his pitch mix to his mentality."Changes were made," Moncada said in Spanish, "but the changes were towards what he has been in the past."It was initially more of the same for Peralta in his Rays debut a mile high against the Colorado Rockies. He allowed seven runs on nine hits with three strikeouts over 3 innings. But the changes began to take hold in his second outing, when he held the A's to three runs over six innings at Sutter Health Park -- the sport's other preeminent hitter haven. Soon enough, Peralta didn't just reclaim his previous form. He was better than ever."Everything changed when I got traded," Peralta, 30, said. "I said it before that I've been treated here as a king, and I feel really good about it. They're working me really well here."President of baseball operations Erik Neander wasn't just looking for token depth when he canvassed the trade market for a starting pitcher this summer. The Rays had three established starters in Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez and Shane McClanahan, with Griffin Jax in the middle of a transition from the bullpen to the rotation and Ian Seymour available for quality starts in a pinch. Neander sought someone who could start a postseason game. His front office decided Peralta's track record, stuff and universally praised makeup was worth a shot.A month later, McClanahan landed on the injured list for the remainder of the season because of forearm tightness and Peralta suddenly wasn't a luxury acquisition. The Rays needed him to excel to win in October. He was already on his way.The first change implemented had been decided at the end of that first meeting in Denver. Moncada, the Rays' bullpen coach since 2023 after a lengthy stint in their system as a pitching coach and coordinator, dug into video of Peralta when he was at his best for Milwaukee last September and when he was at his worst in his final starts as a Met in July. Soon enough, Moncada noticed something: Last season, Peralta exclusively pitched out of the stretch. This season, he was going through an elaborate windup, hands over his head, with the bases empty. So he posed a question to his newest pupil as the meeting drew to a close: Which is more comfortable?"He said, 'I always feel comfortable pitching out of the stretch,'" Moncada said. "So we were like, 'Go with what makes you most comfortable,' and he went back."From there, the Rays instituted further modifications. They had Peralta move to the third-base side of the rubber and widen his stance. They told him to speed up his delivery. They gave him a drill package to incorporate into his preparation to generate more strength from his legs. In one of the drills, Peralta straps a 3D belt around his waist and Moncada pulls it so he feels the weight in his backside.The modified routine, Moncada explained, set the foundation for Peralta to create better momentum toward the plate. His arm angle was raised slightly. His average arm extension rose a fraction."There's some minor adjustments here and there," Snyder said. "But I think more than anything else, it was just getting him back to feeling like himself. I think if you get the environment right, a lot of other things can snowball in the right direction for you."The delivery adjustments produced a livelier fastball, which plays up at Tropicana Field where conditions allow for more induced vertical break. In other words, four-seam fastballs can carry better inside. For "Fastball Freddy," whose best work derives from the heater, the marriage is ideal.To better complement his fastball, the Rays instructed Peralta to throw his changeup more often. It was not a surprising ask, considering Tampa Bay pitchers posted the highest changeup usage of any major league staff since 2008.The results have been startling. Peralta allowed three runs in 34 innings -- good for a 0.79 ERA -- over his final six regular-season starts. He was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for September and has started Game 2 of each of the Rays' first two playoff series thus far.He began his postseason by giving up one run on three hits over 4 innings against the New York Yankees in the ALDS. He followed that with the best playoff performance of his career, holding the Guardians scoreless over six innings in a 3-1 Game 2 win for the Rays.Peralta's average fastball velocity was a career-best 96.9 mph pitching in front of Mets owner Steve Cohen in Game 2 against Cleveland. He touched 99.4 mph -- the hardest fastball of his career. Of his 99 pitches, 71 pitches were fastballs. The 72% clip was the highest of his career."It's no secret that I trust in my fastball a lot and it's my best pitch," Peralta said.In Game 4 on Saturday, he came out of the bullpen for the first time since the 2024 postseason to replace starter Nick Martinez with a runner at first base and one out in the sixth inning. He worked around a walk to escape the jam on nine pitches on what would've been his bullpen day in Tampa Bay's 7-3 victory."He was all eager to come in and do it, then showed why," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I mean, a lot of power. Got huge outs for us."Becoming so effective so quickly required Peralta being open minded. Moncada said Peralta's aptitude and willingness to listen and experiment set him apart from most of his peers. It has created a confidence the Rays believe is ultimately the most important factor in the pitcher's success. The combination has fueled a revival few could have envisioned.On Monday, it could push the Rays one step closer to the franchise's first World Series title."When I got traded here, I just felt different," Peralta said. "For some reason I got here, and I felt like myself again."
