Milwaukee Brewers: Grading Freddy Peralta’s 2018 season

Milwaukee Brewers prospect Freddy Peralta made his Major League debut during the 2018 campaign. Let’s find out how he graded out…

Freddy Peralta made his first start with the Milwaukee Brewers on May 13th. His first taste of Major League action came on Mother’s Day. He limited the Colorado Rockies to only one hit during his 5 2/3 innings of work. He struck out 13 and only walked two. Oddly enough, his parents had flown in from the Dominican Republic in the hopes of seeing Peralta pitch in Colorado Springs. Lucky for Peralta, he was able to make his Major League debut in Denver, and his parents were able to watch.

Regular Season Grade: B

Peralta posted a 4.25 ERA in 78 1/3 innings in the Majors in 2018. He made 16 appearances with 14 as the starter. Peralta struck out 96, walked 40, and was tagged for eight homers. He also managed a 6-4 record.

Why does this get a ‘B’? Because Peralta ended the year just a few months past his 22nd birthday, and had only 61 innings above Double-A under his belt when he made his debut. Before he started to fatigue, Peralta was fantastic. He posted a 2.65 ERA before the All-Star break, but struggled to a 5.71 ERA after the All-Star break. He was essentially shut down for the entire month of September, and only worked 4 2/3 innings between August 30th and the end of the regular season.

Postseason grade: B

This is one of the tougher grades to give because Peralta only made a single appearance in the post season. After barely pitching in September, Peralta was a surprise addition to the NLDS roster, but didn’t feature in the three-game sweep. He also made the NLCS roster, and actually got to throw in the series.

Gio Gonzalez exited after the first inning of Game 3, and Peralta was called on to work in relief. Peralta tossed three scoreless innings, and only allowed three walks while striking out six. 28 of his 48 pitches went for strikes.He showed the stuff that kept him in the Majors, and poise that was beyond his years as he kept the Los Angeles Dodgers guessing for three innings.

If the Milwaukee Brewers didn’t have to shut Peralta down early, he might’ve played a larger role in the NLCS. In a series that close, a few extra innings from a capable starter could’ve helped.

He flashed an electric fastball, a solid curve, and a change up that needs a bit of work. It’s clear that his command isn’t as evolved as the Milwaukee Brewers would like, but he won’t even turn 23 until next June. Peralta should earn a role in the Brewers rotation, and spend the next several years gobbling up innings and racking up strikeouts. 2018 was a great start to what could become a very good career.