Freddy Peralta gave the New York Mets exactly what they wanted out of his second spring start: 3 innings, 4 strikeouts, and a reason to feel good about the back end of the rotation. The Yankees touched him up for 2 earned runs on 3 hits with 1 walk, but the strikeout rate and the sequencing were the real story.
The 1st inning was messy before Peralta even found his footing. A triple lined to left opened the game, a walk loaded things up, and back-to-back RBI singles made it 2-0 before the Mets had swung a bat. Early-inning clusters like that tend to look worse than they are in spring, and Peralta proved that by steadying himself and not letting it spiral.
Freddy Peralta Is Making a Case
From the 2nd inning on he was a different pitcher. A strikeout swinging ended the 2nd, then he came back out in the 3rd and ran through the top of the Yankees order with back-to-back 3-pitch strikeouts swinging. That’s the version of Peralta worth getting excited about. The 69% strike rate across 45 pitches tracked well, and the 15.0 PIP backed up what the eye test showed: he was in control once the early chaos settled.
2 earned runs in 3 innings looks fine on paper, and the way the last 2 innings went makes it look even better in context. The Mets need him as a reliable ace in the front of the rotation, and so far this spring he’s giving them no reason to think otherwise.