The Tampa Bay Rays now have to be considered a legitimate World Series team.
As baseball fans know, a successful team needs a solid rotation, and that’s exactly what the Rays have with the recent acquisition of former New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.Â
Peralta Makes Rays a World Series Contender
In making a major statement that it was World Series or bust, the Rays, one day before the August 3rd MLB trade deadline, pulled the trigger on a move which saw them acquire the two-time All-Star hurler in exchange for three talented Tampa Bay prospects in outfielder Aidan Smith (ranked 15th), pitcher Gary Gill Hill (ranked 26th) and infielder Emilien Pitre (ranked 27th).
Peralta, who is 30 years-old and affectionately known as “Fastball Freddy,” is in the midst of a tough season, which in his only season as a Met saw this right-hander struggle to the tune of a 5-9 record with a 4.99 ERA and 113 strikeouts and 48 walks in 22 starts.
The finest moment in Peralta’s career came last season when with the Milwaukee Brewers, he made a career best 33 starts where he went 17-6 and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
If Peralta can once again find that form, then Tampa Bay will this October have the best rotation among American League playoff teams and should be a favourite to make the World Series.
“We’re excited to welcome Freddy Perata to the Tampa Bay Rays,” Rays President pf Baseball Operations Erik Neander said. “Freddy is a proven major league starter with high-stakes experience and a strong track record. Adding a pitcher and competitor of his caliber strengthens our team as we push forward.”
The Rays starting rotation, which has a 3.75 ERA and 1.16 WHIP are led by two current 10-game winners in 6’1″ 240-pound ace Drew Rasmussen, who as the calendar turns to August, is 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA and 122 strikeouts and hard-throwing right-hander Nick Martinez, who sports a 10-3 record, 2.77 ERA and 69 strikeouts.
The big wildcard in the starting rotation is two-time All-Star left-hander Shane McClanahan, who is back after missing consecutive seasons due to Tommy John Surgery and a nerve issue on the left triceps. This season the two-time All-Star had a respectable 9-6 record with a 3.09 ERA and 91 strikeouts before recently going on the 15 day DL with back stiffness.
Rounding out the Rays starting rotation is Griffin Jax (6-8, 3.74 ERA) and left Steve Matz who was 4-4 with a 6.07 ERA.
With McClanahan being injured, expect Peralta to slip into the third spot of the rotation.
Peralta without question gives the Rays a great chance at not only the AL Pennant but a possible World Series Championship.
Peralta Had a Forgettable Stint with the Mets
No one needed a change of scenery more that Peralta.
The Mets had extremely high expectations when last January, they acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers what they believed would be their ace pitcher in Peralta who they envisioned anchoring the rotation. As baseball fans know all to well, that didn’t happen.
Peralta, who was traded from the Brewers along with fellow pitcher Tobias Myers for shortstop Jett Williams and pitcher Brandon Sproat, struggled towards the end of his New York tenure as he pitched five or more innings only once in his final five outings as a Met.
“He came here to anchor a rotation and felt the weight of that,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “I know from talking to him, he certainly doesn’t feel like it went the way that we hoped it would and I think we all feel the same way.”
Last winter when the trade was made, Peralta heard some great things about New York from former Yankees and Mets pitcher Luis Severino who he trains with in the off season. Severino enthusiastically told Peralta what New York offers and about the passionate fans.
“We’ve been having conversations about New York and everything there,” Peralta said. “He told me that I’m going to feel great, because there are a lot of things in New York that I’m going to see that aren’t available in other cities, and I can win here.”
Coming into spring training, the Mets had World Series expectations but unfortunately for the organization and fans they find themselves with a disappointing 47-66 record which has them 20.5 games behind the NL Leading Atlanta Braves and 12.5 games out of an NL Wildcard spot.
Peralta Is A Proven MLB Pitcher With a Solid Track Record
Despite not having a great year Peralta, ever since breaking into the majors in 2018, has had a solid career which prior to this season has seen this veteran win 10 or more games in four of the last five seasons.
In his career, Peralta has a solid 75-51 record with a 3.74 ERA along with 1,266 strikeouts.
This trade was made not long after the back-to-back World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers went out and acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Detroit Tigers, ace pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Peralta is just the kind of front line starter which should make Rays fans excited as they have with that starting pitching staff a solid shot at making it to the World Series.
