After Corbin Burnes was traded to the Baltimore Orioles by the Milwaukee Brewers, it left a hole to fill at the front of the rotation. Corbin Burnes was the ace of the staff, and it looks like that torch has been passed to Freddy Peralta. This was first reported as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com sent out a tweet with all of the starters for Opening Day and confirmed by the Brewers on social media.
All 15 @MLB Opening Day pitching matchups have been announced: pic.twitter.com/JXGTapgkgE
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 19, 2024
Freddy Peralta and his time with the Milwaukee Brewers
Peralta’s ascent to being the staff ace is a bit of a need, but it also speaks to the growth that the right-hander has experienced over his career and the underlying stuff. If you pull up Freddy Peralta’s Baseball Savant page, there’s a lot of red, particularly in the K department. Last year, Peralta posted a 3.86 ERA across 30 starts, amassing 210 strikeouts over 165.2 innings.
Injuries have always limited Peralta, but the stuff has always been there. With an increase in his average across the board and no injuries to speak of, he put together a full season that is a building block that could turn into much more. He’s even got a couple of club options after this season so that he will be in the fold for at least a couple more with the Brewers.
His record against the Mets further bolsters his credentials. In his first start of 2023, Peralta shut out the Mets over six innings, striking out seven in a dominant 10-0 victory. His overall record against New York is equally impressive, holding a 3.18 ERA across two career starts, which bodes well for the Brewers as they prepare for the Opening Day showdown.
Jose Quintana Will Start for the New York Mets
His counterpart, Jose Quintana, also presents an intriguing narrative. Once off the Mets’ roster due to injury and surgery, Quintana’s return and subsequent performance have now positioned him as the Mets’ choice for Opening Day.
Quintana isn’t the same pitcher he used to be back in Chicago with the White Sox, but he has found a way to be effective nonetheless. In 2022, he put together a season that saw him throw 165.2 innings at a 2.93 ERA and 137 strikeouts. While he’s not the dominant strikeout machine that Peralta is, he’s still a solid pitcher.
The season kicks off on Thursday, March 28th at 12:10 PM.
