2018 Brew Crew Ball community top prospects in review: Freddy Peralta

Our next trip around the Brew Crew Ball community prospects leads us to Freddy Peralta.

Freddy Peralta, RHP

A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2 IP, 4.50 ERA, 0.500 WHIP, 5 K
AAA Colorado Springs: 61 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.262 WHIP, 87 K
Milwaukee Brewers: 78.1 IP, 4.25 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, 96 K

Freddy Peralta was a major reason the Brewers were contenders in 2018. The 22-year-old right handed pitcher came up from AAA and delivered several masterful games that resulted in big victories. Still, despite the positive, fans witnessed the immense risk that comes with his arsenal.

Peralta is a predominant fastball hurler. Even though the pitch sits at an average of just over 91 MPH, it’s a plus weapon in his arsenal that he can use to dominate hitters. The effectiveness stems from how long Peralta is able to hide the ball and the pitch’s movement. This means that even when players know it’s coming — after all, he throws it 77% of the time — they can’t get on top of it.

His second pitch is a great curveball that has superior break and is a true weapon that can keep hitters off balance. It was his second most used pitch, being thrown 20% of the time. He also works with a changeup, although only rarely at this point.

With his fastball and curveball alone, Peralta could dominate hitters for years to come; however, his control is a major hurdle he’ll need to overcome in his development. He had a BB/9 over 4.0 at both AAA and the big leagues to end the season. The walks would often get him in trouble and lead to very short outings.

We know that Peralta has the upside to be a star. We’ve seen the 10+ strikeout performances that destroy opposing teams. If he can mitigate some of the risk that comes with his command, the future should be quite good for the young righty. Fans should be excited.