Ottavino Points to Pressure and Contract Focus in Peralta's Mets Struggles

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 26, 2026 · 11:30 UTC

The short version

Freddy Peralta struggled with the Mets before a deadline trade to the Rays.
The Athletic's Eno Sarris cited three straight strong starts as evidence of a Rays success story.
Adam Ottavino said big-market pressure and a contract-year focus contributed to Peralta's struggles.
Ottavino pointed to Peralta publicly stating his asking price as a sign his mindset was off.
Peralta entered the season as a two-time All-Star from Milwaukee on a Mets team with high expectations.

Former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino suggested Freddy Peralta's big-market struggles stemmed from mental pressure and his upcoming free agency.

Freddy Peralta's turnaround with the Tampa Bay Rays has become one of the more confounding storylines of the New York Mets' season. After struggling through a disappointing year in Queens, the right-hander was traded at the deadline and has since become a meaningful piece of Tampa Bay's playoff push.

The Athletic's Eno Sarris noted that with three consecutive strong starts, the deadline acquisition is looking like another reclamation success for the Rays, who helped Peralta make adjustments after the trade. That revival has raised questions about whether the pitcher's earlier problems belonged to the Mets organization or to something else entirely.

Former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino, who spent parts of three seasons with the club, offered a pointed explanation during an appearance on Foul Territory. He pointed to the pressure of a big market combined with a contract year as key factors in Peralta's decline.

"I think in Freddy's case, there's a lot at play there. Talking free agent year, first year in the big market, doesn't pitch as well as he wants in that middle part of the year, starts feeling it in a way he's never felt it before," Ottavino said. "If you've never played in a big market like New York, Philly or Boston … and you start to really struggle and you feel it from the fans for the first time in a way you've never felt it before, I mean, you're a human being, that has to affect you on some level."

Peralta had arrived with significant expectations on a talent-laden Mets roster and a contract year ahead. Instead of resembling the two-time All-Star he had been with the Milwaukee Brewers, his difficulties became part of the club's broader struggles in a season that fell short.

Ottavino also tied Peralta's mindset to his approaching free agency. He referenced the pitcher publicly stating his asking price for a new deal, saying, "That shows that maybe your mind wasn't in the right spot to handle the New York scenario."

For Peralta, his resurgence in Tampa Bay offers a chance to rebuild his value before hitting free agency. For the Mets, it stands as another reminder of the hard questions facing the franchise this winter.

Fans can watch the Mets wrap their series at the Washington Nationals on Saturday, September 26 at 12:35 PM EDT from Nationals Park on ESPN Unlmtd, MLB.TV, Nationals.TV and SNY. Peralta's Rays, meanwhile, visit the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park that evening at 7:15 PM EDT on MLB.TV and FOX.