Brewers' Freddy Peralta Makes Shohei Ohtani Admission After Beating Dodgers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin M. Groe | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta is in his eighth major-league season with the Milwaukee Brewers, having debuted in 2018 as a starter before moving to the bullpen for the next two seasons.

He struggled in relief due to a limited arsenal, but since returning to the rotation he’s evolved from a fastball-reliant pitcher into a well-rounded starter—adding a slider and significantly improving his changeup and curveball—to create a more diverse and effective repertoire.

In 2021—his first full season back in the rotation since his rookie year—Peralta dominated, posting a 2.81 ERA and recording 195 strikeouts over 144 innings.

Through 19 starts in 2025, he has won ten games, the most in the National League, and his 2.74 ERA would stand as a career best.

On Monday, in a 9–1 victory in the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Peralta delivered six scoreless innings and recorded seven strikeouts against the league's best offense.

After the game, he admitted to tweaking his pregame routine, saying, “I’m not going to lie, I was thinking about how I was going to handle this lineup having Ohtani leading off. It’s not easy having a leadoff guy like him. I was just competing out there.”

Freddy Peralta admitted that his pregame routine today was different. “I’m not going to lie, I was thinking about how I was going to handle this lineup having Ohtani leading off. It’s not easy having a leadoff guy like him. I was just competing out there.” pic.twitter.com/pZxjJt3UKB
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 8, 2025