Freddy Peralta’s September was the kind of run that changes how a season feels, and it earned him the American League Pitcher of the Month award.
The Tampa Bay Rays right-hander was dominant across five starts in September, going 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP over 28 innings. He punched out 23 hitters, limited opponents to a .162 batting average, and allowed just 16 hits and one home run. Even more telling: Peralta gave up one run or fewer in every one of those outings.
The finish to his year was even sharper. Over his final six starts, Peralta went 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA while holding opposing lineups to a .155 average. He capped the regular season with 5.1 shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, giving up four hits and three walks while striking out four.
Peralta’s turnaround in Tampa Bay came after a rough stretch with the New York Mets. Before the trade deadline deal, he was sitting on a 4.99 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP and a 5-9 record in 22 starts in 2026.
Once he arrived with the Rays, the results changed fast. In 10 total games with Tampa Bay, he went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA, a .208 BAA and a 1.01 WHIP in 55.1 innings.
When asked if the Rays fixed him, Peralta pushed back on that idea while still giving the organization its due.
“I don’t see it that way,” Peralta said. “I just, I can tell you that they helped me to get back on track.
But I wasn’t broke. But, yeah, a lot of credit to the people around here, and because they’ve been able to help me and make me feel the way that I’ve been feeling.”
Tampa Bay pitching coach Kyle Snyder, bullpen coach Jorge Moncada and others worked with Peralta on adjustments to his delivery to gain extension, a slight change to his pitch mix and a boost in confidence. Those tweaks helped him get back to the All-Star level he showed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 and 2025.
That form may carry straight into October. The ALDS begins Saturday, October 3, at Tropicana Field against the New York Yankees, and Peralta is a realistic candidate to start. He heads into the postseason on one of the strongest finishes in the league.
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