The Rays brought out the best in Freddy Peralta — now he can pitch them into the World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays revived right-hander Freddy Peralta's season through mechanical adjustments after acquiring him from the New York Mets at the trade deadline. Following a rough stint in New York with a 4.99 ERA, Tampa Bay coaches helped Peralta return to pitching exclusively out of the stretch, widen his stance, and increase changeup usage ahead of his start in Game 6 of the ALCS.

The modifications revitalized Peralta's fastball, driving his velocity to a career-high 99.4 mph during the postseason. Over his final six regular-season starts, he posted a 0.79 ERA, earning AL Pitcher of the Month honors for September before delivering key playoff performances, including six scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians.