Maybe the Manatees could use a starting pitcher...

Is Wily Peralta ready to come back and return to his spot in the Brewers’ rotation? Has he found it in Colorado Springs? Is he locating better and has he found his slider?

No. No. No. And no.

Wily has started three games for the Sky Sox. His first was against Iowa and was played at Colorado Springs. He has lost two of the three, and it would be all three except that the Sox came back from an 8-3 deficit in the bottom of the ninth with a 5 spot, then won the game in the tenth. (Nice to see against the Cubs affiliate in Iowa). Wily worked 3.2 innings, allowing 5 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 4, allowed 3 earned, and gave up 2 homers. He threw 75 pitches. This was arguably his best start at AAA so far. We’ve seen this before.

Wily’s second start, also in the Springs, the Sky Sox lost to Memphis 11-5. He got through 3 innings and allowed 8 hits and a walk. He struck out 3 but allowed seven runs, six of them earned. No homers allowed! Peralta exited after only 52 pitches. We’ve seen this before.

His latest start found him in Round Rock, but hopes of success outside of the altitude of the Springs were misplaced. He made it through four innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 walks, with 4 earned. Struck out 4. This actually lowered his ERA. The Sky Sox lost 7-0. Wily threw 62 pitches, and yes, we’ve seen this before. (BTW - Sam Freeman threw 3 scoreless innings in relief).

Overall Peralta has worked 10.2 innings, allowing 18 hits and 6 walks. He has struck out 11 and given up 3 homeruns. Is part of it pitching at altitude? Maybe, but the start at Round Rock wasn’t good either, and his numbers at Colorado Springs aren’t much different than what he did at the major league levels - in 66 innings, Wily’s WHIP was 1.88 and he allowed 12 homers. There just isn’t anything to hang your hat on if you want to be optimistic on Peralta. This is now a solid season of very poor pitching.

So what do we make of this? Whatever was holding Wily back in the major leagues is still there in AAA. He is giving up lots of hits and too many walks. He is giving up too many homers. He is giving up runs at an alarming pace. If a stint in the pen will help, it is time to start it. It might be time, instead, to send him to extended spring training to join Taylor Jungmann for a break from competitive baseball.

I thought when Wily Peralta was sent down that he very possibly had started his last major league game in a Brewers’ uniform. Now it seems likely he may never pitch in the majors for the Brewers as a major leaguer in any capacity, and who would give him a chance in anything but a minor league tryout? Perhaps the Brewers can include him as a throw in when they trade...somebody. But would you want him, as a GM?

Of course, the Brewers really have nothing to lose by continuing to run Peralta out there for the Sky Sox. Maybe there is a pitching guru that can fix this. If so, he should be very well compensated.