NEW YORK, NY — The New York Mets officially introduced their new ace Freddy Peralta last week, positioning the right-hander as the centerpiece of a winter overhaul of their roster and locker room identity, while also stabilizing a rotation that unraveled down the stretch last season.
The move signals an aggressive pivot for owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns after an uneven year that left the club on the outside of the playoff picture. New York went 83-79 in 2025 and missed the final wild card, then watched several homegrown pieces leave in Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil along with All Star closer Edwin Díaz.
Peralta, 29, of Moca, Dominican Republic, arrives to Queens as a proven durable front-line starter following a career year in 2025, in which he went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, striking out 204 batters in 176 innings while posting a 1.08 WHIP. He has surpassed 165 innings and made 30-plus starts in each of the last three seasons, a trait the Mets are banking on after their rotation posted a 5.09 ERA after July 1 in 2025, which was the sixth worst mark in the majors while using a record 46 pitchers across the season.
“You know, it was surprising at the beginning,” Peralta said of the trade over Zoom, reflecting on spending his entire big league career in Milwaukee. “It was a little hard at the same time but this is business and being honest, I’m really happy to be here in New York.”
Freddy Peralta was acquired by the Mets last month in exchange for two of their top five prospects (Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams) heading back to Milwaukee – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Stearns is familiar with Peralta’s path to the big leagues, back in 2015 while with the Milwaukee Brewers, Stearns acquired Peralta, then 19 in a deal that sent veteran first baseman Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners. Peralta debuted in 2018 and developed into an All-Star-caliber arm, and Stearns said that growth is part of what made this the right time to strike.
“This is someone who first and foremost is a really good person,” Stearns said. “He meshes well with his teammates, he’s emerged as a really quality leader and he’s constantly getting better.”
Freddy Peralta was named the 2024 National League LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year Award winner by the Latino Sports Writers and Broadcasters Association – Image Credit: Milwaukee Brewers/MLB
To acquire Peralta, a recipient of the 2024 National League LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year Award, the Mets dealt two high end prospects including right-hander Brandon Sproat and outfielder Jett Williams, a pair drafted under former general manager Billy Eppler. Even after the move, the organization believes it remains among baseball’s strongest pipelines, headlined by four Top 100-caliber talents: Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing.
The Mets broader reset included signing infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal, acquiring center fielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox, and adding veteran infield help with Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco. The club will still be built around the star duo of Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, each a multiple-time LatinoMVP Award winner, with Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty among the key returning everyday pieces. Bichette is set to play third-base for the Mets this season. Semien, Polanco, Bichette and Peralta all bring postseason experience to a clubhouse that, outside of Soto and Lindor, had largely lacked October exposure.
Peralta, who said he grew up a Mets fan, acknowledged the spotlight that comes with pitching in New York and embraced the challenge particularly in front of the city’s Latino fan base.
“There’s a huge challenge for me… I know how we are, the Latinos… hungry to win every time,” he said. “That’s the way that I’m gonna see it… we just want to win.”
When asked about a possible extension with free agency looming after 2026, Peralta declined to go into specifics.
“I just got here,” he said. “I gotta… share time with my teammates… learn about everybody… and then we can see.”
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