Last year, Freddy Peralta served the role as Milwaukee Brewers ace. He's pitching like one again, but this time for the team that's about to meet the Brewers in the World Series.
The 30-year-old right-hander took a shutout into the sixth inning Oct. 19 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, leading his Tampa Bay Rays into the 2026 World Series with a 7-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Rays won the series, four games to two.
The Rays now head to Milwaukee for Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, Oct. 23.
It's the first time since 1980 (Phillies vs. Royals) that two teams with zero previous championships will meet in the World Series. The Padres, Rockies and Mariners are the only other teams without a World Series crown.
Peralta, who spent the first eight years of his career with the Brewers before an offseason trade to the New York Mets, allowed one earned run on five hits in 5⅓ innings, with three strikeouts and three walks. He has just a 1.08 ERA in the postseason for Tampa Bay this year. Counting the final six starts of the regular season, Peralta has yielded just five earned runs in his past 50⅔ innings of work, good for a 0.89 ERA. The Rays have won all eight starts.
Tampa Bay picked up two runs in the second on a Richie Palacios double, scored again in the third on a Jonny DeLuca sacrifice fly and then scored two loud insurance runs when star third baseman Junior Caminero clanged a home run off the left field foul pole in the seventh. After the Guardians pulled back to within 5-3 in the eighth, Yandy Díaz added a two-run home run in the bottom half to replenish the lead.
Cleveland took a 2-1 lead in the series but lost back-to-back games at home before the Rays closed out the ALCS at their home in St. Petersburg. The Guardians drew a bases-loaded walk and hit batsman in the eighth against Rays reliever Ian Seymour to make it 5-3, but Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio to end the threat.
Peralta became the first Brewers pitcher to appear in six career postseasons, and his litany of Brewers highlights includes a memorable 2018 debut in Colorado and a career 1,153 strikeouts in a Brewers uniform, third in franchise history behind Ben Sheets and Yovani Gallardo.
The native of the Dominican Republic, scheduled to be a free agent after the season, was dealt to the Mets for pitcher Brandon Sproat and minor-league infielder Jett Williams, both of whom had star-crossed first seasons with the Brewers. Sproat spent much of the year in the rotation but ultimately proved too erratic to roster late in the season, and Williams struggled at Class AAA Nashville and battled a wrist injury that cut his second half short.
Exclusive: Order NL Championship book
But it was no better for the Mets. Peralta, who made the 2025 all-star team, won a league-leading 17 games and posted a 2.70 ERA with the Brewers last year, posted a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts with the Mets. With New York out of the playoff picture, they dealt him to the Rays, where he continued to struggle initially but then turned a corner sharply starting with his last start in August.
He'll likely make his next start in Game 2 of the World Series on a familiar mound, facing his old team. The Brewers defeated Peralta earlier this year when he was still with the Mets, but he's rediscovered elite form since.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Freddy Peralta leads Rays to World Series against former team
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.