Before the first pitch of the World Series, Freddy Peralta got a reminder of just how much Milwaukee still thinks of him. On the scoreboard at American Family Field, a video replayed each club’s path to the Fall Classic, and when it hit Peralta dominating the Guardians in the American League Championship Series, the stadium camera found him on the field.
The reaction was immediate and unmistakable: a sold-out crowd gave him a warm ovation, a rare show of affection for a visiting player in this setting. Peralta looked up, smiled wide, and took it in.
That moment fit the strange place he occupies this week. More than a decade after the Brewers landed him in one of the franchise’s most profitable trades, Peralta is still beloved in Milwaukee.
He’s “Fastball Freddy,” an adopted son. But now he’s wearing a Rays uniform, and on Monday night in Game 3 of the World Series, he is being asked to help Tampa Bay climb out of a 2-0 hole against the team that raised him.
“He was our ace. He was our guy,” said Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick.
“He was just a huge part of this culture and city. But I think we kind of knew at some point he was going to be somewhere else.”
That “somewhere else” just happened to be the team standing across from Milwaukee in the World Series - a twist that feels almost too neat. The Brewers want to beat Peralta. They also genuinely like him.
“I love that kid, man -- I just do,” was how Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy put it. “If you’re around him every day, like, this kid is just joyful. It’s just a beautiful spirit that comes to do his job.”
That reputation traveled with him when the Rays acquired Peralta from the Mets at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
Willy Adames, who knows both clubs well as a former Ray and Brewer, texted Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash with a simple warning: “You’re getting one of the best.” Peralta has long been viewed as the kind of pitcher who helps bring a room together, not just a rotation.
But the months leading into that trade were rough. After an offseason move to the Mets, Peralta’s command and confidence started slipping.
One inefficient outing turned into another. On June 9, he gave up six earned runs to the Cardinals.
Eleven days later, the Phillies hit him for a career-high 10. Not long after that, the Blue Jays tagged him for five more in a loss that clearly weighed on him.
Afterward, he needed a long pause before meeting the media, and when he finally spoke, he admitted: “I don’t feel good.”
He finished with a 7.34 ERA in nine starts before the Deadline, numbers that didn’t scare off interested teams nearly as much as his track record convinced them. The Rays believed the broader body of work - two All-Star seasons and a fifth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting in 2025 - meant there was still something to salvage. The Mets moved him for three prospects, giving Tampa Bay its opening.
“I started losing a little bit of confidence,” Peralta said. “But then, you know, everything changed.”
It changed quickly once he got to Tampa Bay and started working with pitching coach Kyle Snyder. Peralta moved to the third-base side of the rubber, scrapped his windup, raised his release point and worked on driving more forcefully down the mound to boost his extension and the perceived velocity of his pitches.
He also leaned more on his changeup, backed off the breaking balls and started attacking the top of the strike zone with his fastball more often. Mets officials say they asked him to make many of the same adjustments, but the Rays were the ones who got through to him.
By the time he faced the Orioles two weeks after the Trade Deadline, Peralta had enough of his old stuff back to become a major part of Tampa Bay’s push. Since then, over his last 10 outings - three playoff starts and one relief appearance included - he’s gone 7-0 with a 0.89 ERA.
Now the biggest start of his life comes against the organization that knows him best. Before the World Series, Peralta spent time catching up with old friends and revisiting old memories, and there’s no bitterness on either side. Still, the desire to win is very real.
Brandon Woodruff, who has known Peralta since 2016, thought about sending a text before the series. Back then, Peralta was a low-level Brewers Minor Leaguer, and the two rose through the system together.
Woodruff reached the Majors in late 2017; Peralta got there early the next year. They bounced between the rotation and bullpen, leaned on each other, and grew up in the game side by side.
“I’ve seen his ups and downs,” Woodruff said. “He’s seen mine. I’ve seen everything with Freddy.”
In the end, Woodruff never hit send.
In Other News...
Trevor Megill Just Added New Tension To Brewers World Series Lead
The unusual setting at Tropicana Field has become part of the backdrop of this World Series, and not just for the Rays. Ahead of Game 3, Brewers reliever Trevor Megill took aim at the stadiums white roof during batting practice, saying the look of it makes the baseball tough to follow. For Milwaukee, which arrives with a 2-0 series lead, it was the kind of throwaway observation that can still stir up a little extra noise around a postseason stage already full of pressure.
Megill has been one of the Brewers key arms this October, so even a passing complaint from him carried some weight. The comments quickly drew attention and put another spotlight on a building that has never lacked for quirks, especially in big games. With the series shifting and the environment now part of the conversation, Tampa Bay is left to deal with the baseball side of the matchup and the distractions that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays World Series Return Turned Into A Brutal Reality Check
The Rays World Series return quickly turned into a long night in Game 3, with Milwaukee rolling to a 10-1 win and taking control with relentless pitching and a sudden surge at the plate. Tampa Bay never found much rhythm against the Brewers, who at one point retired 14 straight hitters and made the game feel out of reach before the middle innings even settled in.
Milwaukees starter Peralta never made it deep into the game, but the Brewers hardly needed much from him after the offense exploded in the fifth. Gasser took over the rest of the way and gave the Rays no openings, finishing with six shutout innings to keep the pressure squarely on Tampa Bay as the series continued. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Stadium Push Faces A Crucial Vote Fans Can't Ignore
The next step in the Rays push for a Tampa stadium is headed to a city hall meeting this week, where the Tampa City Council is scheduled to vote on a community benefits agreement tied to the teams commitments. The proposal is part of the broader stadium process and is expected to outline how the club would support local initiatives as the project moves forward, with details set to be presented at the meeting.
The timing makes the vote especially important, because the councils makeup is about to change and that could alter how future stadium-related decisions play out. For supporters watching the ballpark effort closely, this is one of those moments that can shape the tone of what comes next, even before the full picture of the agreement is laid out in public. [Read more 🡒]