Have you recently noticed Freddy Peralta? He is quietly making some serious noise at the Milwaukee Brewers. And without a doubt, he is off to one of the best starts in his career.
Through the opening, the 28-year-old is already leading all the Dominican starters with an ERA of 1.91. His strikeouts of 33, WHIP of 1.02, and opponent batting average of .194 are eye-turning. He is not just keeping hitters in check; he is also locking them down. With 28.1 innings pitched already, he is looking like one of the most reliable and durable arms behind Luis Severino.
But there is also something bigger looming. The Milwaukee Brewers pitcher is on the way to joining the ranks of one of the most elite groups in Dominican baseball history.
With 982 career strikeouts, Peralta is just 18 away from the 1,000-strikeout club. To date, only 22 pitchers from the Dominican Republic have been able to achieve that feat. And that includes greats like Pedro Martínez, Bartolo Colón, and Juan Marichal. So it’s a pretty iconic company for Peralta to be in. But this is no surprise because he has always been known to rack up strikeouts.
Peralta crossed the 200-K mark in each of the last two seasons and even back in 2021. This was when he had just made his All-Star debut and had fanned 195 in just 144.1 innings. This year, he is looking no less than the same All-Star. Except this time he seems more refined than before, and his career numbers back it up. A 3.73 ERA over 782.2 innings a strikeout rate of 11.3 per nine innings and just 8.8 hits allowed per nine. He always had it in him; just consistency was the issue, but now that he has that under control, people are taking notice.
Soon, Peralta will be the 23rd Dominican pitcher to hit 1,000 strikeouts. And who knows, he might topple Pedro Martinez’s name from the top too. However, as much as this milestone matters, the team is leaning on their $15.5 million star for more than just career accolades right now.
Peralta holds down for Milwaukee Brewers rotation in ruins
Right now the starting rotation of the Milwaukee Brewers is hanging on by threads. What was once a solid group on paper is left playing musical chairs. The original plan had Peralta along with Tobias Myers, Brandon Woodruff, José Quintana, Nestor Cortés, and Aaron Civale. But aside from Freddy Peralta, the rest of the group has been struggling. From injuries to slow buildup—the reality is grim almost for Milwaukee Brewers.
Myers, Cortes, and Civale have all spent their time sidelined. And Woodruff and Quintana have been healthy, but they weren’t all ready to jump back in then. For now, though, Quintana is back and is looking good. However, when half of the rotation is hurt or stretched out, then the depth does get tested. Thankfully, this is where Quinn Priester comes in! Milwaukee made a big move to get him, and so far, good returns too.
Now the elephant in the room is Nestor Cortes. He landed on a 15-day IL and has moved to a 60-day IL just recently due to a flexor strain. So he won’t be in until late June. Pat Murphy, their manager, did say it was not a major issue.“Moving Cortes to the 60-day does not indicate any major setback,” but really, it’s nothing. The anti-inflammatory shot didn’t ease the pain as hoped, and so Cortes has not even resumed throwing. For now, Milwaukee Brewers needs Peralta to be their anchor. He is not just chasing history, but rather holding the pitching staff that’s stuck in limbo.
What do you think about the Brewers so far? Let us know in the comments.
The post MLB News: Brewers’ $15.5 Million Ace Nears Pedro Martinez Territory With Historic Dominican Feat appeared first on EssentiallySports.