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Freddy Peralta Fantasy Impact Mets Trade 2026
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Freddy Peralta Fantasy Impact Mets Trade 2026

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Rick Wolf  |  Last updated Jan 22, 2026 1:55 AM ET

Today, the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers made a four-player deal.  The Mets acquired front-line ace Freddy Peralta and an additional starting pitcher, Tobias Meyers, for two prospects, Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.  The Brewers cleared money, but a small amount for the talent that he brings to Queens.

It was just five days ago when the New York Mets got a big kick in the ass, and the Free Agent dominoes started to fall as Kyle Tucker, the premier free agent hitter, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The anchor of decades of collapses and unkept promises from the rich owner led to desperation by his GM.  

Steve Cohen has had the Mets play the bridesmaid for two straight seasons, saddled by the media with the term “collapse”.  That term has followed the Mets since their last World Series victory in 1986.

You might remember September 17th, 1987, when Terry Pendleton launched a 3-run bomb off Roger McDowell that started a six-game collapse that sent the Cardinals to the playoffs instead of the World Champs.  Maybe you remember Glavine collapsing in 2003 when, on the final day, the Mets needed a win, and he gave up the most earned runs in any outing of his Hall of Fame career, seven.  

Maybe you remember the last day at Shea Stadium in 2008.  It was destroyed by the combination of C.C Sabathia pitching a 1-0 shutout in Milwaukee on three days’ rest and Scott Schoenweiss collapsing by throwing that 2-2 change-up to Dan Uggla that cleared the right field fence.  Maybe you remember the whole Jose Reyes era.  Collapse year after year.  

The last two years have defined this franchise by the word 'collapse'. Even on the joyous day that Carlos Beltran is announced as being added to the Hall of Fame, all I can think of is him frozen while strike three was called.  Uggla!
Today.  Yes, today.  This franchise puts that all behind us.  The Mets are doing what they promised. They added players that fit the GM’s strategy that I outlined when I discussed the Luis Robert trade.  They signed a veteran ace.

Freddy Peralta's Fantasy Value Post-Trade

Peralta finished fifth in the Cy Young voting and had an excellent year.  He had 17 wins, 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and more than 200 strikeouts.  Only 12 pitchers in 2025 had more than 200 strikeouts.  So how does he fit, and what can we expect from him?

Rotation & Team Fit

When we look at the number of arms that the Mets have to potentially be in the rotation, they have some flexibility now.  They can bring Jonah Tong on a bit slower, for example.  Right now, the rotation would be Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, Jonah Ton,g and Kodai Senga, if you trust him.  David Peterson is a lefty and has shown that he can come into games in relief, so it makes the most sense for him to spot start and work as a lefty in the pen.  

Peralta got good run support from the Brewers, but the Mets' lineup should be just as good.  The team is a great fit, as they bring a winning attitude back.

2026 Projections

When evaluating how a player can and will perform, I like to look at some metrics.  I look at ground ball rate (GB%), swinging strike percentage (SwK), first pitch strike percentage (FpK), velocity, and expected earned run average (xERA).

Anyway, you look at this coming year with a new team, Freddy Peralta should have similar base numbers, with his SwK staying around 13.5 and his velocity around 94.5.  It is the xERA and BABIP that are concerning, and some of the other elements suggest that his 2.70 ERA was a fluke.  His xERA was 3.78. He should be closer to that but slightly better.

I predict 14-15 wins, 200-210 strikeouts with a 3.65 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.  This is a Top 20 pitcher and Top 10 in the National League.

Want more information for your 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft? Check these top 20 positional rankings:

Dynasty Implications for Jett Williams & Brandon Sproat

Brewers System Boost

Jett Williams is more interesting than Brandon Sproat.  Williams is an intense player.  He is small at 5'7", 175 lbs.  He runs well.  He should be a slap hitter who runs and plays good defense at second base, shortstop, and in the outfield. However, he has hidden power that will come out in a couple of years.  He is worth a Dynasty pick.

Brandon Sproat pitched only 20 innings last year and is already 25.  He throws hard, 96+ MPH. His peripherals were awful last year, and I would wait and see how he handles the new team before investing even a dynasty pick.

Draft Strategy & Advice

Using the SMART System, Freddy Peralta is not considered an “Anchor”, which is the “A” in SMART.  He is close, and should be targeted as a great pitcher to grab as a second starter for your team or as an Anchor with another similar player. Your Anchor should be a sub 3.00 ERA pitcher, and Peralta will not get there. He is a target for all my teams.

Risks to Monitor

There are no major risk factors with Peralta.  He has pitched 165+ innings and recorded 200+ strikeouts in each of the last three seasons, averaging 32 starts per season.  He had some control issues in 2023, but that is behind him.  He allows a lot of flyballs, which could be trouble to right handed hitters in CitiField, but that is a tiny issue.  No risks here.

The Mets have been busy as of late. Catch up here:

Conclusion

Peralta's trade to the Mets keeps promises to be active and add veteran pitchers when the opportunity arises.  The fans should be happy with this.  With 33% of pitchers having some injuries every year, fantasy baseball players should target Freddy Peralta as a rock of health.  He surely will have 12-15 wins and deliver on the 200ks that only 11 other pitchers in the majors accomplished.

Baseball is life.

People Also Ask

Q: How does Freddy Peralta’s trade to the Mets affect his fantasy value in 2026?
A: The move certainly improves Peralta's fantasy projection. With the Mets, he will get more run support and is expected to win 12-14 games (up from 9-11) while still getting a lot of strikeouts (200–220 K).

Q: What are Freddy Peralta’s 2026 fantasy baseball projections after joining the Mets?
A: Early projections show he'll have a 3.70-4.00 ERA, a 1.15-1.25 WHIP, 200-220 strikeouts, 12-14 wins, and about 170-180 innings. He is still a high-strikeout SP2/3, but his chances of winning are better now that he is in a better lineup and at Citi Field, which is good for pitchers.

Q: Will Freddy Peralta be drafted higher in 2026 fantasy leagues after the Mets trade?
A: Yes, there should be an ADP bump. Before the trade, he usually went in rounds 8 to 10 (SP25 to 35). After the trade, expect to see him in rounds 6-8 (SP15-25 range). This shows how likely his new team is to win and how stable it is.

Q: Who benefits most in fantasy from the Freddy Peralta to the Mets trade?
A: Redraft leagues see the most benefit from the Peralta trade: more wins and run support. In dynasty and keeper leagues, Brewers prospects Jett Williams (a middle infielder with speed, power, and on-base percentage) and Brandon Sproat (a mid-rotation pitcher with a 2026 ETA) become more valuable as Milwaukee's rebuilding system becomes clearer.

Q: Is Freddy Peralta a good fantasy pick in 2026 after moving to the Mets?
A: Yes. In most formats, he's a strong selection. His attractive strikeout rate (10+ K/9 career), better chance of piling up wins on a contender, and solid underlying metrics (low walk rate, high whiff stuff) make him a dependable SP2 with SP1 potential if he stays healthy.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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