Why Rays Should Not Panic About Freddy Peralta Following Bad Start

Here's why the Tampa Bay Rays should not worry about a bad outing from Freddy Peralta.

Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following a busy trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays have been back in action, looking to prove they are the best team in the American League. 

While expectations coming into the season might not have been high for the Rays, they have blown past them and are looking like a real threat in the AL now. 

With the best record in the league, the road to the World Series could very well run through Tampa Bay. This is a group that perhaps overachieved a bit in the first half of the year, but were mindful of that and made upgrades at the trade deadline. 

Since the Rays had a couple of needs, it was always going to be interesting to see what the plan of attack was. One area that they did want to add some depth for was their starting rotation. 

While they were linked to Tarik Skubal quite a bit, they ended up trading for New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta. Even though the right-hander might not be having the best season, he does provide the team with some depth and potential upside. 

Rays Should Not Panic Yet About Peralta

Jul 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though it was not a strong debut for Peralta with Tampa Bay, there is no need to panic just yet. The right-hander drew one of the worst possible places to start his tenure with the Rays in Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. 

As one of the least-friendly pitcher’s parks in the league, Peralta had a tough go of it. In the no-decision, he allowed seven runs in 3.2 innings of work, and saw his ERA jump to 5.37 from 4.99.

The right-hander has had some struggles this year with the Mets, which have included some bad performances like on Tuesday night. While there was certainly some concern that the right-hander might not be the answer for Tampa Bay, a bad game on the road against the Rockies shouldn’t factor into that judgment. 

Now, as he starts to settle in with his new team, the pitching coaches and staff will have some time to work with him on ways to improve. There have been a lot of good outings for Peralta this year, and tapping into that will be key. 

Even though the Rays don’t need him to be the star he was with the Milwaukee Brewers last year, he does have that upside. The right-hander is next scheduled to pitch against the Athletics next Monday as the West Coast trip for Tampa Bay continues.