Freddy Peralta Earned Award Dominating With Rays

Sep 19, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Freddy Peralta Earned Award Dominating With Rays

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Julia Ruocchio | Last updated Oct 1, 2026 10:30 AM ET

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Tampa Bay Rays’ starter Freddy Peralta has been named American League Pitcher of the Month for September.

In five starts in September, Peralta went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP across 28 innings pitched. He struck out 23 batters and held opponents to a .162 batting average in that span, while giving up 16 hits and one home run. Peralta allowed one run or fewer in each of those five outings.

Over his final six starts of the season, Peralta went 5-0, pitching to a 0.79 ERA while holding opponents to a .155 average.

The veteran finished his season with a 5.1-shutout-inning performance against the Philadelphia Phillies in his final start of the regular season, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out four.

Freddy Peralta deserved AL Pitcher of the Month Award

Your AL and NL Pitchers of the Month for September:

Freddy Peralta: 4-0, 0.96 ERA, 28.0 IP, 23 Ks
Jared Jones: 3-0, 0.93 ERA, 29.0 IP, 40 Ks pic.twitter.com/S7SMmMA83S
— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2026

Peralta joined the Rays at the trade deadline at a time when he was struggling. He was sporting a 4.99 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP with a 5-9 record in 22 starts with the New York Mets in 2026 before being acquired by Tampa Bay. He underwent an impressive turnaround, pitching 10 total games for the Rays and going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA, a .208 BAA and a 1.01 WHIP across 55.1 innings.

When asked whether the Rays fixed him, Peralta shared that he doesn’t necessarily see it that way, but conceded they deserve credit for helping him return to form.

“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.”

Fastball Freddy pic.twitter.com/XEhcbN0NUk
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 29, 2026

Tampa Bay’s pitching coach Kyle Snyder, as well as bullpen coach Jorge Moncada and other staff, helped Peralta make some adjustments. This included changes to his delivery in order to gain extension, slightly altering his pitching mix and giving him a confidence boost.

Peralta applied these adjustments and, as a result, returned to his previous All-Star form from his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, specifically his All-Star seasons, which were 2021 and 2025.

It’s very much a realistic possibility that Peralta gets a start in the postseason. The ALDS is set to begin on Saturday, October 3, at Tropicana Field against the New York Yankees. Peralta is coming off as strong a finish to the 2026 season as anyone, as he looks to take September’s success into the postseason.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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