TROPICANA FIELD (St.. Petersburg, Fla.) — After their first loss of the postseason, the Rays were in the throes of their first real test of October adversity. They had to find a way to stop the bleeding and prevent the ALCS against the Guardians from getting out of hand.
Most of all, they needed a stopper. A few months ago, no one could’ve imagined that veteran right-hander Freddy Peralta would be the answer. Peralta, the fastball-reliant Tampa-Bay transplant, was spectacular in the Rays’ 3-1 win against Cleveland on Tuesday night at Tropicana FIeld.
He twirled six scoreless innings — the longest start of his playoff career — and threw the fastest pitch of his career on a 99.4 mph fastball to Guardians right fielder Jo Adell in the fifth inning of his electric outing. With Peralta setting the tone, the Rays evened the series at one game apiece. "It's no secret," Peralta said, "That I trust in my fastball a lot, and it's my best pitch." Peralta dotted the strike zone with high heat all night, which befuddled the Guardians lineup over and over again.
It was somewhat surprising that the Guardians couldn’t do anything against Peralta’s four-seamer, because the team plainly advertised his biggest strength by throwing up "Fastball Freddy" graphics all over Tropicana Field before and during his outing. The Guardians knew it was coming, and they still couldn’t hit it. Peralta’s confidence grew every time he collected a whiff with his unhittable weapon.
"I thought his fastball was really good tonight," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "It was really good. And he was hitting that top rail.
We talked about needing to get him down, but he was putting it right above, right at the top rail. And when he's doing that with the good ride and cross-fire extension, he's going to be tough. And he landed enough change-ups and curveballs to keep us honest.
Freddy threw a really good game tonight." Peralta’s lights-out performance on Tuesday night was the culmination of tons of hard work from both the right-hander and the Rays organization since he joined the club in the summer. With the way the ball was gliding out of his hand and painting the black against Cleveland, it was easy to forget that this has actually been an emotional roller-coaster of a season for Peralta. He had a miserable first half with the Mets, posting a career-worst 4.99 ERA in 22 starts in New York.
That experience was very hard for Peralta and his family because he was used to having success throughout his career. In 2025, Peralta finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting after he recorded a 2.70 ERA and led the league with 17 wins. He earned the reputation as one of the game’s most elite active starting pitchers when the Mets traded for him last offseason.
"It was the first time that I was struggling like that," Peralta said of his time as a Met. "And also in New York, an organization that traded for me, an organization that trusted me, and I wasn't able to give the best of myself. It was a little disappointing for me.
I didn't feel good about it. "But when I got traded here, I just felt different. For some reason I got here, and I felt like myself again." After beginning his Rays tenure with a seven-run clunker against the Rockies, the Rays coaching staff got to work.
They helped Peralta fix his mechanics, ditch his windup, and pitch exclusively from the stretch. Removing his windup allowed the righty to get to the mound faster, which freed "Fastball Freddy" up to use his favorite weapon with ease. The mechanics have been repeatable, but most of all, they’ve been simple.
Peralta credits Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder, bullpen coach Jorge Moncada and bullpen catcher Charlie Valerio for being in the trenches with him since he joined Tampa Bay in August. They gave him a plan, one that didn’t overload him with too much information, and he followed it. The Rays wanted Peralta to focus on regaining confidence in his fastball and throw more changeups.
Always the team player, ready to follow orders, Peralta went to work. He won American League Pitcher of the Month in September after recording a 0.96 ERA in five elite starts. Less than two months after joining the Rays, Peralta was back.
"I don't think we'd ever expect, 'Hey, we're going to acquire a guy, and he's going to win Pitcher of the Month three weeks later,'" Cash said. "We were very fortunate to get him. I give our scouts a ton of credit for recognizing and appreciating that Freddy Peralta wasn't that far removed from the Freddy Peralta in Milwaukee.
And we have certainly reaped the benefits of him. "The type of teammate, it feels like he's been here for four or five years, the way he carries himself, the way he interacts. The pitching and the numbers he's thrown up speak for themselves." Peralta is lauded for being a terrific teammate everywhere he goes, in large part because of his infectious positive outlook on life.
When he’s not on the mound, he’s always smiling. When he was on the Mets, he hosted team get-togethers and organized off-day outings. When he was on the Brewers, he hosted barbecues at his house.
Already, in a matter of weeks, Rays players have bonded with Peralta in what has been a seamless transition to his third team in 13 months. This winter, Peralta might be heading to his fourth. The 30-year-old is set to enter free agency this offseason, and the Rays have helped ensure that he’ll get a big pay day.
Peralta is earning just $8 million this season in the final year of his previous contract. Next year’s market, particularly for free-agent starters, is particularly thin. With the way Peralta bounced back this year, and the way he’s showing up in the postseason, he should garner plenty of interest around the league.
Perhaps, even a reunion with the Mets is on the table. "I had no idea," Peralta said when asked if he was aware that Mets owner Steven Cohen was in attendance at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. "I don't even know what to say because I don't know if he came to watch just the game or maybe me, too.
What I can say is that we have a good relationship. When he traded for me, he texted me. We spoke.
Also, when we were in spring training, we had really good communication. He spoke with me when I got traded back to the Rays. "I think he's awesome.
And I'm happy that he was here watching, not watching me, watching the Rays."
