Freddy Peralta

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #12 prospect in 2018
  Acquired from the Mariners in the 2015 trade for Adam Lind, Peralta has long been knocked for being too undersized for a starting pitcher. He hardly let that get in his way in 2017 as he cruised through high Class A Carolina and Double-A Biloxi, posting a combined 2.63 ERA with 169 strikeouts in 120 innings. He led the minors with a .178 opponent average. Peralta is confident and aggressive on the mound, challenging hitters with a fastball in the low to mid-90s, with good movement and improved command. He has deception with a bit of a crossfire delivery, and hitters have trouble picking up the ball, leading to plenty of swings and misses. Because of his “disappearing fastball,” many have compared him with former Brewers starter Mike Fiers, who got the job done without an overpowering fastball because hitters picked up the ball so late. Peralta repeats his delivery well and mixes in a slider to keep opponents off his fastball. He also has an above-average changeup he throws for strikes with deceptive arm speed. Peralta strikes out opponents with seeming ease but still issues too many walks and must improve his control. He displays good mound presence and a feel for pitching, particularly given his youth. He's an intelligent pitcher with good instincts. Despite concerns about Peralta's size, the Brewers believe he can be a mid-rotation starter because of his stuff and intangibles. He might be challenged with an assignment at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #21 prospect in 2017
  When the Brewers traded first baseman Adam Lind to the Mariners after the 2015 season they did so with an eye toward the future. They acquired three pitchers, all 19 years old at the time, in Peralta, Carlos Herrera and Daniel Missaki. Peralta was considered the most advanced of the three and went out and proved it in 2016 with an all-star showing at low Class A Wisconsin that earned him a bump to high Class A Brevard County. The epitome of an undersized righthander, he makes up for it with a repertoire and presence on the mound to still project as a starter. Peralta shows a fastball in the low 90s that tops out at 94 mph with a smooth, clean and repeatable delivery. He mixes in a slider and changeup that have a chance to be at least average in the majors--the change could be above-average--and throws strikes with all three. Peralta's changeup has deceptive arm speed and keeps hitters off his hard stuff. He struck out batters at an elite rate in the Midwest League--77 in 60 innings--but still issues too many walks. Because of Peralta's youth, the Brewers have plenty of time to develop him as a starter. He faces a return to high Class A.
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #15 prospect in 2016
  Peralta, whom the Mariners inked for $137,000 in 2013, impressed in his U.S. debut in 2014 with a power fastball that regularly topped out at 95 but struggled to post a 5.29 ERA. He returned to the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2015 with less velocity (89-93 mph) but a far better feel for pitching and an improved changeup that some evaluators think could develop into an above-average offering. He finished second in the circuit with 67 strikeouts and fifth with a 1.05 WHIP. Peralta has more pitchability than stuff--but his stuff is pretty good too. His fastball command and changeup each took significant steps forward in 2015. He delivers his changeup with deceptive arm speed and advanced feel for a pitcher his age. He flashes the ability to spin a slider but is inconsistent with its command. Peralta doesn't have much projection left, but packs a lot in his 5-foot-11 frame. He could make the leap to low Class A in 2016
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #24 prospect in 2015
  Any righthander from the Dominican Republic who stands 6-foot-3 and throws 90 mph is bound for a big payday. If he stands 5-foot-11 with the same stuff, he probably will have to settle for a smaller bonus check. Peralta fits in the latter category, which explains his $137,000 bonus when he signed in April 2013. But as Johnny Cueto and Yordano Ventura have shown, teams can find bargains among Latin American righthanders with compact deliveries, quality fastballs and feel. Peralta has a relatively clean delivery, a loose arm and a quality 90-93 mph fastball. He flashes an average curveball and throws a fringy changeup that currently lacks movement or deception. With a strong extended spring he could head to short-season Everett.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #7 prospect in 2018
  Peralta conquered the daunting task of pitching at Colorado Springs, posting an impressive 3.10 ERA and pitching his way into Milwaukee’s rotation by June. Peralta’s fastball sits just 90-92 mph, but it gets on hitters quick with his easy arm action and rise up in the zone. He further kept batters off balance with a curveball out of the same slot he could both land for a strike or use as a chase pitch, and he effectively mixed in his changeup. Even without big stuff, Peralta recorded a strikeout rate of 12.8 per nine innings with his poise and pitch selection. “He was really polished, he looked like he was in control,” Fresno manager Rodney Linares said. “Our lineup had a bunch of big leaguers. We were dropping 10 runs on people like crazy and this guy just shoved against us. He moved the ball wherever he wanted to throw it. He never panicked. It was like you were swinging at the pitches he wanted you to swing at.” Peralta relies on hitters chasing and his walks spike when they don’t. He may be limited to a back-end starter by that, but he effectively fills that role now.
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  Ranked Carolina League #20 prospect in 2017
  Acquired along with righthanders Daniel Missaki and Carlos Herrera for Adam Lind in 2015, Peralta was one of the Brewers' best performing pitching prospects in 2017. He was part of a piggyback partnership with fellow righthander Marcos Diplan, who had better stuff, but Peralta produced the better results. Peralta starts his repertoire with a mixture of two- and four-seam fastballs in the 86-93 mph range that hitters simply do not see. Both pitches have late life at the end, and he gets deception from a crossfire delivery and a hip turn, which result in tons of swings and misses. In one start in early April, Peralta got 20 swigning strikes among his 57 strikes Peralta complements his fastballs with a slider in the high 70s and a changeup in the low 80s. The slider is the better of those two pitches, while his changeup is a work in progress. The stuff doesn't jump out at you, but the results certainly do.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Peralta made a huge leap forward in 2017, soaring through the high Class A and AA levels, and continued that momentum this year at Class AAA Colorado Springs, ignoring the difficult pitching environment. That showing put him in line for his MLB debut and he was sensational in a Mother’s Day start in Colorado, pitching no-hit ball into the sixth inning and striking out 13, a club record in a first game. Peralta throws mostly fastballs in the 91-93 mph range and the key to his success has been pitching up in the strike zone. He mixes in enough curveballs to keep hitters honest.