Freddy Peralta Begins New Chapter with Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE — On Monday, Freddy Peralta kicked off his first bullpen session of the spring, teaming up with his primary catcher under the keen observation of the new pitching coach.
The Mets are undergoing several changes, and adding their ace right-hander is a significant move for the team.
Now, Peralta is diving into the adjustment of settling into his new environment. Interestingly, he doesn’t really need an introduction; he already has some familiar faces from the Brewers, like Tobias Myers, Devin Williams, and Tyron Taylor.
Throughout his eight years in Major League Baseball, he’s certainly made a lot of connections.
It was just a little while after Peralta and Myers were traded to the Mets from Milwaukee for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams back on January 21 that the new pitching coach, Justin Willard, began interacting with the pitching staff.
Once at camp, Peralta expressed how surprised and impressed he was by the detailed information shared with him.
“When I arrived here, they seemed to know everything about me, and I found many of those insights quite enlightening,” Peralta noted.
The interesting part is that the objective isn’t to reinvent Peralta, but rather to equip him with knowledge. Last season, he made 33 starts for the Brewers, posting a 2.70 ERA, and was even fifth in the Cy Young Award voting for the National League.
Peralta shared, “It felt really comfortable. They asked me about my work process, what I’ve been doing, and we just naturally exchanged ideas.” He added, “It’s a collaborative effort, not a strict change. They’re just trying to improve communication, which is crucial for me to continue my current success.”
Looking ahead, Peralta is particularly optimistic about working with Francisco Alvarez, who is the Mets’ top catcher. He also mentioned Luis Torrence, the backup catcher, as having valuable experience.
“Alvarez has a lot of energy and potential. I recognized that even before we teamed up. I’m eager to see what we can achieve together,” he said. Peralta emphasized the importance of building relationships as they move forward.
“I think we can get to know each other pretty quickly. Ideally, it would be great to establish that rapport right before spring training starts, but I don’t believe it will take much time,” he added.
Peralta has already greeted fellow pitchers like Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Kodai Chiga, and he’s also been staying connected with Jonah Tong and Christian Scott.
Arriving early to camp, he found the clubhouse atmosphere welcoming. “Many of the players are familiar to me, and even if we haven’t played side by side, we’ve crossed paths during seasons, which feels fantastic. I’ve been receiving a lot of warmth from everyone,” he said.
Interestingly, Peralta will skip the upcoming World Baseball Classic, opting to concentrate on his initial season with the Mets.
“Right now, my focus is on my responsibilities and meeting my new teammates. Just honing my training and staying healthy,” he concluded.
