Freddy Peralta Reflects on Disappointing Mets Tenure

Mandatory Credit&colon; Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Freddy Peralta Reflects on Disappointing Mets Tenure

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Logan VanDine | Last updated Sep 1, 2026 11:32 AM ET

With the Tampa Bay Rays slated to play the middle game of their three-game series against the New York Mets on Tuesday, Tampa Bay’s starter will be quite familiar with his opponent.

That starter is Freddy Peralta, whom the Rays acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline. Peralta first joined New York when they acquired the two-time All-Star from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, in exchange for top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.

The expectation was that Peralta would be the ace of the Mets starting staff after they lacked one for much of last season.

Peralta’s tenure with the Mets, however, was brief and disappointing, and he is now well into his Rays tenure, hoping to play a key role in the club’s postseason run in October. And during an exclusive interview with Mike Puma of The New York Post, the right-hander couldn’t pinpoint what exactly went wrong with the Mets.

“I don’t see pressure,” Peralta told The Post. “It’s a way bigger market and there’s a lot more fans, people there, and everybody is paid to win for every day. I enjoyed those kinds of moments when I was in New York, but I don’t see it as pressure.”

Freddy Peralta dismisses one explanation for Mets failure in fresh start with Rays https://t.co/CvtTzhw2Zz pic.twitter.com/mQBTmZThXE
— New York Post (@nypost) August 31, 2026

In 22 starts with the Mets this season, the 30-year-old went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA, 113 strikeouts, 48 walks and a WHIP of 1.48 across 113.2 innings pitched. Peralta also pitched six innings or more in only six of his starts with New York, and just seven innings once.

Those disappointing numbers come after he set a career-high in wins with the Brewers last year with 17 as well as posting a dazzling 2.70 ERA in 33 starts.

“It was the first time I struggled like that, but I never gave up,” Peralta said. “I was always trying to find a way to feel better, to pitch better and I knew what I can do and I was feeling good physically too and healthy, but I couldn’t make the adjustment. But the good thing is now that I feel different, I am ready to keep going to the World Series, hopefully.”

Freddy Peralta greets Carson Benge, Zac Thornton and other Mets staffers in Tampa Bay pic.twitter.com/GbilzShne0
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 31, 2026

Peralta is now five starts into his Rays tenure. And after a rough first start, the righty hurler has since posted a 3.80 ERA over his last four starts and is coming off tossing six scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers in his previous outing. Peralta told Puma how he reacted when he found out he was traded to Tampa Bay.

“I felt good because I was going to a team that was playing really well, in first place, competing all the time,” Peralta said. “I love the stadium here, too. When the season started, I wasn’t expecting to be traded because I was going to a whole new team. I thought I would be there the whole year, at least. But in time it wasn’t a secret I was going to be traded, and I was just hoping to go to a team like this one.”

Peralta and the first-place Rays will now take on the Mets in the middle of their three-game set after the Amazins’ took the series opener on Monday.

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

More must-reads: