Freddy

Peralta

The one run on Peralta’s ledger came after he left the game when Huascar Brazobán allowed an inherited runner to score with two outs in the sixth inning. Regardless, Peralta was sharp here. The only trouble he ran into came in the fifth inning when he wriggled out of a jam after putting runners on second and third with no outs. He threw far more changeups in this start against the Cardinals left-handed heavy lineup compared to Opening Day when he featured his slider more. He played that pitch off his fastball beautifully and they combined to force 13 of his 15 swings-and-misses. His next start is scheduled to come at home against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Despite getting five runs to work with in the first, Peralta nearly went without a win today. He took a 6-3 lead into the fifth, when he gave up a single and an RBI double to open the inning. One more batter reaching probably would have gotten him lifted, but he retired Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe (who had homered off him twice) and Bryan Reynolds in order to escape. Peralta finished up with a 34% CSW. His velocity was down a bit early on, but it got better as the outing went along. Peralta will make his next start Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Mendoza added that David Peterson will follow Opening Day starter Freddy Peralta before McLean gets the ball on Sunday against the Pirates at Citi Field. He’ll be followed by Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga with Sean Manaea being used in a piggyback role, as needed. The hard-throwing 24-year-old top pitching prospect will make his season debut with an extremely favorable matchup at home after a starring role in the World Baseball Classic earlier this month. He’s a top-25 range fantasy starter in remaining drafts.

The 29-year-old right-hander punched out five batters on the evening while issuing only one base on balls. The Astros scratched out a run against him in the opening inning as Taylor Trammell worked a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Yordan Alvarez. Peralta then locked in and retired the final 10 hitters that he faced. He got 11 whiffs on 56 pitches on the evening, posting a strong CSW of 36 percent. He has been strong in Grapefruit League play, posting a 2.70 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and a 12/2 K/BB ratio over 10 innings in his three starts.

Both runs came in the first. Peralta retired the first two batters he faced but then gave up a triple, two singles and a walk before retiring Duke Ellis to end the inning. Peralta struck out four with a solid 36% CSW today. He has a 3.00 ERA and a 7/1 K/BB through six innings.

Peralta had an easy day despite his velocity being down 2-3 mph from last year. He’d surely be further along now if hadn’t decided to skip the World Baseball Classic, but it seemed like the smart move as he enters his walk year while joining a new franchise.

The Mets didn’t have an obvious big hole in their rotation, so the upgrade they wanted wasn’t going to come cheap. This qualifies, however, and the Mets didn’t have to sacrifice from the major league team to make it happen. Peralta is under control for just one more season, but he’s a bargain at $8 million and the Mets should have a chance to retain him for the long haul. The 29-year-old is coming off his best season to date, finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young balloting with a 17-6 record and a 2.70 ERA. Dogged by durability issues earlier in his career, he’s avoided the IL and made 95 starts the last three years. He’ll probably regress somewhat from his 2025 performance, but he’s a legitimate Opening Day starter for a team that needed one.

The Mets will also get Tobias Myers, The Athletic’s Will Sammon confirms. Coming off his fifth place finish in the NL Cy Young balloting, Peralta will join Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes and likely either Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea in the Mets rotation. Sproat could be a candidate to go right into Milwaukee’s rotation, though it seems more likely that he’ll open up in Triple-A. Williams is probably a year away, but he could be a starting shortstop or center fielder for the Brewers in 2027. The Mets will have Peralta for $8 million this year before he becomes eligible for free agency next winter.

Sherman says the Brewers have asked for both Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, and it sounds like the Mets may have relented following the addition of Myers to the proposed deal.

Michael Marino reported earlier than the Brewers were asking for top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams in return for Peralta, but maybe they’ll be willing to settle for one of those two and another prospect the Mets don’t value as highly. The Yankees are also known to be among those interested in Peralta.