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Freddy Peralta will start Game 2 of the American League Division Series for the Tampa Bay Rays against the New York Yankees, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. The Rays announced the move after opening the series with a 1-0 victory at Tropicana Field.
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The decision gives Tampa Bay a veteran starter who finished the regular season in strong form. Peralta was acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline and posted a 3.25 ERA across 10 starts with the Rays.
Peralta’s assignment also comes after Drew Rasmussen delivered one of the best postseason starts in Rays history. Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Austin Wells broke it up with a double, finishing with one hit allowed and 10 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings.
Freddy Peralta will start Game 2 for the Rays.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) October 4, 2026
The Rays entered the postseason as the American League’s No. 1 seed after finishing 98-64, while the Yankees went 93-68 and earned the league’s top wild-card position. Tampa Bay’s 4.5-game advantage over New York in the AL East gave the Rays home-field advantage in the series.
Peralta’s numbers changed significantly after the trade. He went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 22 starts with the Mets before finishing 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 10 starts for Tampa Bay. He struck out 43 batters across 55 1/3 innings with the Rays.
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The right-hander was particularly effective at Tropicana Field down the stretch, posting a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP over his final four home starts. He also finished September as the American League Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA in 28 innings.
According to Castillo’s report, Peralta will face Cam Schlittler in Game 2. Schlittler finished his first full regular season with a 14-6 record, 1.95 ERA, 239 strikeouts and a 0.92 WHIP across 193 2/3 innings.
With Tampa Bay leading the series 1-0, a second consecutive victory would put the Rays one win from the ALCS. The Yankees, meanwhile, need a strong start from Schlittler to avoid heading back to New York facing an 0-2 deficit.
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This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 1:01 PM.