With the trade deadline approaching, the two-time all-star had a 4.99 ERA on a Mets team going nowhere. New York’s decision to give up right-hander Brandon Sproat and minor-leaguer Jett Williams for Peralta was backfiring. And Peralta, a free agent at season’s end, wasn’t exactly sure why so little was going according to plan. Even now, it’s hard to explain.

“Sometimes I ask the same question myself,” he said from American Family Field Saturday. “The good thing (is) I was feeling really good physically. I was trying to give the best of myself as always, and I prepared how I should be preparing. But I don’t know, for some reason things weren’t going my way.”

Here in late October, Peralta’s exactly where he should be again. A trade to the Rays connected him with manager Kevin Cash, pitching coach Kyle Snyder and the rest of the Rays’ pitching development team. Together, they simplified his windup, changed his positioning on the mound and found ways to access more induced vertical break, or ‘vert,’ which makes his trademark fastball appear to rise more. 

Immediately, the results improved. In 10 regular-season starts with the Rays, Peralta posted a 3.25 ERA. Then, after a strong start against the Yankees in the ALDS, he won ALCS MVP as the Rays beat the Guardians.

Now, the 30-year-old’s on the brink of making his World Series debut against the team that traded him away less than a year ago. The pressure will be significant down two games to none, but there’s an opportunity to flip the momentum with a big start.

“It’s an unbelievable situation and position for me to be here, and I’m very grateful to be here,” Peralta said before Game 2.

Smiling, he then added: “It is a little weird.”

While the Rays deserve credit for getting the most out of Peralta, Cash said it was largely a case of trusting that an experienced pitcher in his prime could make some adjustments and get back to his established levels of production.

“I’ve looked at his three months in New York as unique,” the manager said. “Now I feel like he’s come back to being Freddy Peralta with us.”

Either way, those adjustments will make Peralta one of the most coveted free agents available this winter. He won’t be on the level of Tarik Skubal, of course, but he’s likely next on the list for motivated teams, ahead of fellow free agents Michael King, Trevor Rogers and Sonny Gray.

Like former teammate Jake Bauers, Peralta has substantially increased his free-agent value with continued performance against elite competition this October. That’s before we get to William Contreras and Drew Rasmussen, two players who will have slam-dunk team options exercised for 2027 but could be among the most coveted free agents a year from now.

For at least one or two more starts, though, Peralta’s allegiances remain entirely with the Rays. 

After eight seasons in Milwaukee, Peralta received an “unbelievable” reception from the fans at American Family Field before Game 1 of the World Series Friday. He would have enjoyed the challenge of pitching in Milwaukee again, but the Rays added rest for him and Rasmussen by inserting Nick Martinez as their Game 1 starter on the road.

That means Peralta’s World Series debut will come at Tropicana Field opposite Robert Gasser of the Brewers in Game 3 Monday night. He feels comfortable there — possibly because the sightlines remind him a little of Milwaukee — and he posted a 1.69 ERA in Tampa during the regular season.

Still, part of him would have liked his World Series debut to come on the road.

“Being honest, I would love to pitch here too,” he said from Milwaukee’s media conference room. “I know how special it is to pitch on this mound here in Milwaukee. I would like to pitch here during the post-season.”

Fortunately for Peralta, he still has a chance to do just that. On paper, he also lines up to start a potential Game 7, by which point the series would return to his longtime home in Milwaukee. In the meantime, he has a chance to make sure the Rays get that far.

Offensive depth on display

The Brewers were MLB’s No. 2 offence this year, but they really aren’t a team built to hit home runs. During the regular season, they out-homered just one team: the Toronto Blue Jays.

But like the AL champion Blue Jays of a year ago, these Brewers have grinding at-bats and contributions from unexpected sources. Game 2 offered a perfect example of their lineup depth as Sal Frelick, who hit just four home runs in 111 regular-season games, hit a left-on-left home run to deep centre field in the sixth inning.

It was reminiscent of players like Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider, who stepped up when the lights were brightest a year ago. Of course, when the Rays are at their best, they’re trying to do similar things at the plate and Tampa Bay utility player Richie Palacios specifically mentioned last year’s Blue Jays at World Series media day, citing them as inspiration for his offensive approach.

So far, it’s the Brewers who have found more success, with Frelick delivering the Brewers’ lone home run of the series from the No. 8 spot to help complete their Game 2 comeback.

“Our offence is built to chip away and wear on pitchers,” Frelick said. “It can be good when you’re trying to come back. At the same time, if we’re up, it’s the same exact approach. I think just having an offence built like that is really good for when you’re down.”