When the New York Mets acquired Freddy Peralta in January, it was a big deal. He didn't make it one season before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay is an organization known for improving pitchers during their time with the team and Peralta was no exception. After leading the National League in wins during the 2025 season, he was a major disappointment for the Mets and got moved before the trade deadline.
Now with the Rays and pitching in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians, he once more looks like an ace in his pitching staff. But it's more than just the stats that look different. He also began throwing out of the windup, not the stretch, per The Athletic.
Since playing for Tampa Bay, additionally, the righty changed his delivery
and pitch selection. His arm angle was significantly lower in New York than it was in Milwaukee and that elevated closer to his previous approach with the Rays. His release extension also dropped from his time with the Brewers to his time with the Mets but stabilized after the trade.
Here is more from Peralta (via MLB.com):
"I feel different mentally and physically. I feel really comfortable right now, because I was working on a lot of stuff when I was in New York but I couldn't make the adjustment until I got here."
Despite his nickname ("Fastball Freddy") that's known around the league, he significantly increased how often he threw his changeup — especially against other right-handed batters. Meanwhile, his fastball was more effective when he did throw it. He began throwing his curveball in the strike zone more often, too, as his walk rate fell and his strike rate increased.
Peralta said he doesn't blame anyone for what happened in New York, though Tampa is celebrated for pitching coach Kyle Snyder's ability to develop arms. In fact, Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez recently praised Snyder for exactly that.
No one would have expected Peralta on the mound in the ALCS based on how his season with the Mets began, but when he faces Cleveland, he'll have a chance to show the world all of these changes.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: How Freddy Peralta improved so much after trade to Rays from Mets
