Wandy Peralta Is 'Quietly' Dominating in Yankees' Bullpen
NEW YORK — Wandy Peralta has quietly blossomed into one of the most dependable relievers in the Yankees' bullpen this season.
After 1.2 scoreless frames on Wednesday night, stranding two runners after replacing starter Nestor Cortes in the sixth of a 4-3 win over the Rays, Peralta lowered his ERA to 1.50.
Over his last 17 appearances, Peralta has an 0.90 ERA, giving up just two earned runs across 20 innings pitched in that span. The 30-year-old hasn't allowed a home run all season long.
"He is so reliable," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday afternoon. "He does a great job, he's got good stuff."
Peralta might not light up the radar gun, but he'll get the job done by changing speeds, keeping hitters off balance while limiting hard contact. Opponents are averaging an exit velocity of just 84.6 mph against Peralta. That's the 14th-lowest mark in all of baseball.
"We always talk about Nestor and him shaking up timing, that's what Wandy does really, really well," Boone added. "He fields his position really well, controls the running game really well. He's instinctive and athletic and smart on the mound and fearless. I feel he's been quietly big for us here, especially the last couple of weeks."
New York lost Chad Green for the year with Tommy John surgery. They've been without Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Loáisiga due to injury as well, although both are on the mend. Clay Holmes gets plenty of credit for holding it down in the back end of this club's 'pen, but Peralta has been a pivotal contributor as well, earning more high-leverage looks as he continues stepping up in the face of adversity around him.
Peralta had a 4.69 ERA over his first five seasons in the league. Before he was acquired from the Giants last year, in the Mike Tauchman trade, Peralta was struggling, posting a 5.40 ERA in his first 10 games of the 2021 season.
Now, he's a key under-the-radar figure that's pitching well for the best team in baseball. Tauchman, meanwhile, is playing in the Korean Baseball Organization.
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