Freddy Peralta
Pitcher happy to be thriving in majors
The always-smiling Brewers pitcher is thrilled to be thriving in the big leagues.
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta discusses being the youngest player on the Brewers, his childhood in the Dominican Republic and his talented younger brother, Luis.
Peralta, 22, is 6-4 with a 4.02 earned run average and 86 strikeouts in 13 starts (69 1/3 innings). He made his major-league debut May 13 and is in his third stint with the Brewers.
The interview was conducted with the assistance of team translator Carlos Brizuela.
Q. At 22 years of age, you’re the youngest guy on the team. Has that worked for or against you in the clubhouse, which has plenty of veterans?
A. To tell you the truth, they’ve been pretty good with me. They really have. Before you come up you always hear about how they treat rookies, the young guys, but thankfully since I’ve been here they’ve been pretty good with me. I don’t know if it’s my personality – I’m always smiling. Maybe it’s
just the way I am. But they’ve been treating me well. I’ve been learning a lot and having fun with everybody. So it’s been really good.
Q. Is it almost like a dream to be starting in the major leagues at such a young age?
A. It’s definitely a dream come true. Everyone has this dream. For me it wasn’t like a big surprise. When I signed in 2013 I put that as my goal, to make the big leagues before I was 21. I made it at 21 and I’m just glad I was able to do it.
Q. You mentioned smiling. You come across as someone who really enjoys what he’s doing, with your youthful enthusiasm coming through. Does that just come naturally to you?
A. That’s who I am. That’s my personality. I’m always smiling. I love playing this game. I love being here. I’ve been playing baseball since I was 3-4 years old and it’s something I love doing, and I just feel blessed that I can do it and it’s just been awesome being able to do it. So I’m always happy and have a smile on and try to enjoy the moment. Even when things are going wrong you just have to know that it’s going to pass and things are going to get better and then you can just go back to being yourself and having fun. I’m blessed and enjoying it as much as I can.
Q. Where did you learn your work ethic from?
A. The work ethic has always been here. Having a routine, that’s the part that’s been a little different. Last year in 2017 was the first time I focused on that and tried to get better at my routine. I was down at Double-A and I was playing with guys who were at Triple-A or in the big leagues and I noticed that they all had really good routines. I was trying to learn from them and ask questions, and that’s when I started setting a better routine for myself. Before, I had one but it wasn’t what it is today, and I think it’s helped me a lot.
Q. Much has been made of the strong clubhouse culture in Milwaukee, which has been cultivated by many of the Latino players. Was your transition helped by that?
A. It definitely helps a lot. Having a group of Latino guys like we do is always helpful. They’ve been great, and even the American guys are going to help you. But I think having guys that speak your own language helps because sometimes with the language barrier your message might not come across the same way. So having someone who speaks the same language who can help you out with stuff, like what you should be doing and what you shouldn’t be doing, and being able to understand each other clearly has made it a lot easier. It helps a lot.
Q. What was it like for you growing up in Moca, Dominican Republic?
A. Moca is a small town and I lived kind of on the fields on the outskirts. That’s where I grew up. I still live there and I still go there in the off-season. I mostly remember having to go 20-30 minutes to go to the center of the city to be able to get to the field to be able to practice and play every day. It’s crazy to look back and see where I’ve come from and how far I’ve gone. It’s such a small town that everybody knows each other, and I’ve gotten a lot of love and support. I feel blessed to have their support. From everybody in the town – my family and everyone else. It’s been awesome.
Q. What’s it like now when you go back?
A. I haven’t been back there since I made it (to the major leagues) so I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how they’re going to treat me once I go back. I know my family will probably do something. We’ll get together and have a big family (celebration). I’m looking forward to it.
Q. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
A. Two younger brothers, Luis and David. The youngest one, Luis, signed with the Pirates and is in the (Dominican Summer League), and the other one is still trying to sign but he hasn’t signed yet. Luis is a lefty.
Q. Could he wind up being better than you?
A. Maybe (laughs). Who knows? Q. Could you see a time in the future where you’re facing off against him in the same game?
A. Maybe we’ll be starting the same game one day. You never know. Maybe I’ll have to face him hitting (laughs).