WANDY PERALTA

• Position(s): Left-handed pitcher
• Bats / Throws: Left / Left
• 2024 opening day age: 33
• Height / Weight: 6-foot / 227 pounds
• How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2024
• Contract status: Will make $4.45 million after opting in for the 2025 season; holds $4.45 million player options for 2026 and 2027.
• fWAR in 2024: Minus-0.5
• Key 2024 stats: 3-2, 3.99 ERA, 0 saves, 11 holds, 22 strikeouts, 13 walks, 1.20 WHIP, .232 opponent average, 38⅓ IP (46 games)

 

STAT TO NOTE

• 5.46 — Peralta’s fielding independent pitching (FIP) in 2024, the second highest of his career. FIP focuses solely on the events a pitcher has the most control over (strikeouts, walks, hit batters and home runs) and removes the results of balls hit into the field of play. Because it removes the influence of defense, FIP is generally a better representation of a pitcher’s performance than ERA, and Peralta’s FIP has been higher than his ERA in seven of his nine seasons in the majors. Peralta’s career FIP (4.59) is also higher than his career ERA (3.89).

 

TRENDING

• Down — The Padres didn’t have a lot of proven commodities in the rotation at the start of spring training when they doubled down on building out the bridge to closer Robert Suarez, who was also something of an unknown heading into 2024. The Padres had signed Yuki Matsui out of Japan and Woo-Suk Go out of Korea when Peralta was signed to a four-year, $16.5 million deal that included player options after each season. Peralta had posted sub-3.00 ERAs in back-to-back seasons but his FIP (see stat to note) surged from 2.86 in 2022 to 5.05 in 2023. Peralta was still coming off allowing a career-low .190 opponent average and had an 0.82 ERA through his first 12 appearances in 2024 (4 strikeouts, 2 walks, 11 IP) when the second of back-to-back appearances at Coors Field showcased the first crack in the foundation. The Padres had a 9-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth when Peralta replaced Matsui and promptly gave up three-run homer, two singles, a walk, a passed ball and a wild pitch before he was yanked from the game. Peralta penned a scoreless streak of 11⅔ innings from May through early June but had a 10.00 ERA over 13 appearances from June 7 to July 9, when a groin injury sent him to the shelf. Peralta returned in September and threw 4⅓ scoreless innings, albeit far from the victory formation that emerged after the Padres acquired Tanner Scott and Jason Adam at the trade deadline. In fact, Peralta appeared in just one postseason game, allowing a run in 1⅓ innings in an 8-0 loss in Game 4 of the NLDS. After the season, Peralta exercised the first of his three player options to trigger a raise on the $3.35 million he earned in 2024.

 

2025 OUTLOOK

• With Scott departing as a free agent, Peralta figures to again factor into the bridge to Suarez. Peralta’s home run rate has surged from 0.3 per nine innings in 2022 to 1.2 in 2023 to 1.4 in 2024. Keeping the ball in the yard will go a long way toward providing value in middle relief.