Cory Sparks

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Freddy Peralta has gained a reputation as one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball over the years. Given the nickname “Fastball Freddy” for his reliance on his favorite pitch, Peralta has long been a capable ace and was a big get for the New York Mets this past offseason. Now, his earned run average is north of five and he’s struggling mightily. Let’s uncover why that is. Freddy Peralta's Failed Mets Tenure Peralta is a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher who came by way of a trade, as the Brewers dealt him to New York in exchange for a pair of top prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. This came after eight seasons of high-octane play that led to a pair of All-Star selections and even a finish as a top-5 National League Cy Young candidate in 2025. This year, the Mets starter has floundered, generating a 5-9 record and a 5.01 earned run average following a loss against his former team. Why is he struggling, and what is with the sudden drop-off for someone who was so productive for so many years? Fastball Freddy's Waning Heater For starters, the former Brewers’ ace has seen his fastball slow down a tick, and although it’s subtle, every bit matters for an option Peralta utilizes 53% of the time. Furthermore, hitters have managed to log a .266 batting average against his four-seamer, a whole 57 points higher than last year’s mark. Opposing batters are also slugging .427 and generating an average exit velocity of 90.4 miles per hour against the fastball, the highest exit velocity generated against any of his pitches. Interestingly enough, Peralta is getting 6.5 feet of extension on the pitch, down from a 6.8 mark a year ago. While this doesn’t exactly qualify as him “short-arming” the baseball, this makes the ball appear to come in even slower to the plate. Swing-And-Miss Tendencies Another aspect that just isn’t clicking like it used to is his ability to make hitters miss and force them to chase out of the zone. Let’s start with the whiff rate: In 2018 (Peralta’s rookie season), he generated a whiff rate in the 62nd percentile. In his second season, with an increased spin rate on his fastball, the mark improved to the 73rd percentile. In the six years following, he lived in the top quarter of major-league arms. That is until the 2026 season, where Peralta’s fastball spin rate, overall velocity, and his whiff rate, have reached career lows relative to the rest of this league. The chase rate hasn’t been much better. While Peralta has never esteemed for his ability to coax swings on bad pitches, largely due to his heavy dosage of the fastball, he has dropped from the 49th percentile in 2025 to the 34th percentile in 2026. As a result, he’s working from behind in counts, being hit harder and overall, allowing more runs. What Comes next Peralta is 30 years old and seems to be showing signs of being on the back half of his career. How can someone who doesn’t have the strikeout stuff that he used to adapt to this new reality, especially in a league where crazy amounts of velocity and induced vertical break reign supreme? The answer is all in his location and contact tendencies. Another team at the trade deadline will see a once-great arm in need of a makeover, looking to help Peralta become a more crafty pitcher on the mound. It's just a shame that evolution won't happen in New York, as the Mets will look to retool for 2027 and beyond over the next week and change. View full article

Freddy Peralta is a two-time All-Star and was considered a significant offseason acquisition for the New York Mets. Yet this year, the 30-year-old has struggled to find his footing in the Big Apple. In this video, we'll jump into the advanced analytics of why Peralta is struggling so badly and what key adjustments he can make to adapt to his evolving arsenal. View full video

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The New York Mets have put themselves in clear sell-mode at this year’s MLB trade deadline. Holding a 43-59 record, they are in a position to ship off big-league players to needy, win-now teams in exchange for a change to build their future around Juan Soto. Let’s dive in to three different prospects the Mets could go after to speed up their rebuild. Brody Hopkins, Tampa Bay Rays It’s the middle of July, and the Tampa Bay Rays are still leading the American League East. Tampa will likely be picking up the phone looking for another proven bat. If the Mets choose to be their suitor, and if that bat holds enough value, the Rays’ top pitching prospect in Brody Hopkins could make for a remarkable fit. Hopkins is currently in Triple-A, pitching for the Durham Bulls. The 24-year-old has a 4-7 record with a 4.52 earned run average over 77.2 innings pitched in 19 appearances, 16 of them being starts. The 2023 sixth-round pick has a lethal 1-2 combo, flexing 60-grades with his fastball and curveball. The four-seam fastball sits between 95-98 mph and can touch triple digits, while his curveball profiles as a power breaking pitch in the upper-80s. Hopkins’ strikeout stuff is electric, as he touts a career K/9 rate just south of 11 while allowing a .199 opposing batting average. His main problem has been control, an attribute that MLB Pipeline rates as a 45-grade (average). Entering this season, the hard-throwing righty averaged a walk every other inning; that rate has ballooned thanks to his allowance of 74 free passes in 77.2 innings pitched this season. Josiah Hartshorn, Chicago Cubs The Cubs are in primed position to take one of the top spots in the National League, but they have a very clear need: starting pitching. As it stands now, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera (that’s enough to fill an entire playoff rotation) are all sidelined for varying amounts of time. Chicago just made a trade for Aaron Civale, who had a 5.42 ERA with the Athletics this year, so they're still looking for a top-tier arm. Grabbing someone like Freddy Peralta, even in a down year, would be a significant upgrade for the North Siders, and Josiah Hartshorn could be an appropriate return. Hartshorn is a switch-hitting outfielder who has taken off this year. At just 19 years of age, the 2025 sixth-round pick has throttled 15 home runs and 69 runs batted in across Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend. With 54 walks to 74 strikeouts, Hartshorn is showing an advanced approach. His main pitfall has been his defense, as the question surrounds whether he’ll be a corner outfielder or infielder based on mobility reasons. Still, this is the kind of bat you can bet your future on. Murf Gray, Pittsburgh Pirates After sweeping the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers to close out the first half, the Pittsburgh Pirates have tossed themselves into the buyers pool. The Pirates are 52-49 and aiming to make a surge up the NL Wild Card rankings. They have a main need to get there, though: a reliable reliever. The team has blown 18 saves in 37 opportunities. If the Mets want to be that supplier for a reliable, back-end reliever, they should ask for Murf Gray in return. Gray is Pittsburgh’s third-ranked prospect, and he just cracked MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list at No. 100. Gray has 24 home runs across Low-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro and now Double-A Altoona, a mark that puts him at seventh place in all of Minor League Baseball. Gray was a second-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, and he’s currently slashing .325/.408/.607 with a 1.015 OPS across three different levels of affiliate ball. The scary part? His 60-grade arm is currently his best attribute, according to scouts. This is a reliable corner infielder who could supply a big-league ball club with some game-changing power as soon as next year. View full article

The New York Mets are in clear sell mode, as they are well below .500 coming out of the All-Star break. In this video, we'll explain the benefits of going after trade packages that include Rays pitching prospect Brody Hopkins, Cubs outfield prospect Josiah Hartshorn, and Pirates corner infield prospect Murf Gray. Enjoy! View full video

That's definitely the main priority, but I like the high-floor profile considering what he was able to do in college

Image courtesy of Ed Delany | Metsmerized The New York Mets have a strong nucleus of up-and-coming contributors, and while some have already debuted (Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing), others like Mitch Voit are garnering momentum in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Voit has the tools to be a part of the next line of risers, and his recent performance implies he could already be well on his way. Let’s dive into his overall skillset and promising trajectory. Mitch Voit's Path to New York Voit is the Mets’ sixth-ranked prospect, per Grand Central Mets. The 21-year-old stands at 6 feet tall, weighs 201 pounds and New York picked him 38th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft. Every single one of his tools is at least a 50-grade on the MLB Pipeline 20-to-80 scouting scale. He used to be a two-way player, just like Nolan McLean and Carson Benge did. So far, a pair of seasons into his professional career (and embarking on his first full campaign), he has impressed and seems to be trending in the right direction. Ascending Quickly The middle infielder didn’t waste any time getting into the professional ranks after being drafted, as he played 22 games in Low-A St. Lucie to round out last year’s minor league season. The former Michigan Wolverine slashed .235/.343/.292 with a home run, eight runs batted in and a ridiculous 20 stolen bags in his brief but impactful stint in Low-A. This was enough to push him to High-A with the Brooklyn Cyclones, where Voit has improved in nearly every offensive category. His slash line is up to .240/.351/.408 through 68 contests with the Cyclones. July 9 was arguably one of his best showings, going 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI, two runs scored, two walks and five total bases. He’s Got Power, He’s Got Speed Voit has shown plenty of power through just past the halfway point of his first full MiLB season, throttling 11 home runs and 11 doubles for 22 extra-base hits (averaging one about every third game). His pull-air rate is 14.8 percent, good enough to nestle him in the 63rd percentile according to TJ Stats. His swing decisions and overall contact ability have been promising too, as his 68.6 percent zone swing rate is above league average (63rd percentile), and he’s whiffing only 26.5 percent of the time, less often than the average minor league hitter. As a result, he’s only striking out 20.3 percent of the time (78th percentile) and is identifying pitches well as he elevates up the Mets’ minor league ladder. Voit’s speed, slotted as a 60-grade on MLB Pipeline’s scale, has also been a spectacle. The former Big Ten standout has 30 stolen bases through 66 games, as he’d be on pace for over 60 in a full season. Overall Trajectory When can we expect someone like Voit to ultimately debut at Citi Field? Considering he was a three-year college athlete who got selected just on the fringe of the first round, it shouldn’t be longer than 2-3 years in total. His arm is a 60-grade tool, the power numbers are climbing, and his awareness on the basepaths is only improving as the competition grows more fierce. Francisco Lindor is a roadblock, but only at shortstop. Nothing should be standing between Voit and Queens at second base once he's ready for The Show. View full article

Mitch Voit is the New York Mets' sixth-ranked prospect, per our rankings. The 2025 38th overall pick is already in High-A Brooklyn, and he's significantly improved his slash line from a year ago when he had a cup of coffee in Single-A St. Lucie. In this video, we'll break down his 1-2 punch of a skillset and how the middle infielder could slot into the big league ball club's future plans. View full video

The New York Mets have had a first half to forget. A team that recently acquired Juan Soto and Bo Bichette finds itself well below .500 and without its original manager in Carlos Mendoza. In this video, we'll break down what Bichette, Freddy Peralta, and Marcus Semien need to improve on to turn the team's season around before it's too late. View full video