Peralta adds slider to his repertoire
PHOENIX – There’s no better way to get a pitcher to try a new pitch than if the idea originated with the player himself.
That’s how it went over the winter for young Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, whose first 55 appearances (22 starts) in the major leagues were a bit of a roller coaster (13-7, 4.79). Primarily a fastball pitcher who mixed in an occasional curve, Peralta decided it was time to go back to the slider he used in the minors but abandoned for whatever reason.
Peralta met after the season at the team’s complex in the Dominican Republic with former Brewers pitcher Carlos Villanueva, now a special assistant for player development. They discussed the merits of incorporating a harder breaking ball to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball so much.
Rather than having to wait until this spring to see how hitters reacted to the slider, Peralta was able to get immediate results by pitching in the Dominican Winter League. He dominated opponents while pitching for the Toros del Este, allowing only six hits and three walks over 20 innings with an impressive total of 34 strikeouts.
“Any pitcher that can add another pitch that’s usable can change a lot,” manager Craig Counsell said Saturday. “It’s also really hard to do. What’s encouraging with Freddy is that he has thrown it in games already.
“You have guys trying things in spring training but Freddy’s probably a little ahead of that because we’ve taken it into game action. He’s got some feedback already. It was led by Freddy, as much as anything, by wanting to add something else to his arsenal. Then we probably helped with what should the pitch look like.”
As for whether that might help keep Peralta in a starting role, which at times has been a struggle for him, Counsell said, “He’s doing it to make himself better and have more weapons. That’s logical when facing guys more times in a lineup. He’s looking for more room to operate.
“Starters generally have more places to go than relievers. The relief game translates more to the power game. There are obviously exceptions. Starting is a little bit different.”
Asked how he thought his slider played during winter ball, Peralta broke into a big smile that said everything.
“I think it will be a good pitch for me,” he said. “I wanted to add something to what I did. I used to throw the slider a lot. Then, I stopped using it. Now, I’m using it again.
“Now, the hitters have to think about that pitch. The big thing is to make it look different from my curveball. I think this will make me a better pitcher. I am excited about this year.”
Counsell likes Yelich’s openness
Was Counsell nervous about Christian Yelich serving as an ‘assistant’ to the Bucks’ Pat Connaughton in the NBA dunk contest on Saturday evening? Far from it.
“I’m sure it’ll be entertaining,” Counsell said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m way more nervous about 20 spring training games than that.”
Counsell said one of the things he has enjoyed about getting to know Yelich is his willingness to put himself out there and try different things. And he didn’t even mention Yelich posing nude for ESPN The Magazine last year.
“I love seeing Christian doing stuff; I really do,” Counsell said. “I look forward to seeing Christian more out there. He has such a good perspective on it all. And he’s a great choice for that (being the face of baseball) if somehow he is picked to be that.
“There would be no better choice for it, in my eyes. Anytime I get to see these cool things he’s getting to do, I can’t wait to see them. He’s probably got some offers to do a lot of things. He gets to pick the best of the bunch and the stuff that really appeals to him. That’s the good life.”
Counsell thinks Hader deserves more
It’s not Counsell’s money but he made it clear he thought reliever Josh Hader should have won his arbitration hearing. Instead, the club won and Hader got their $4.1 million offer instead of the $6.4 million he requested.
“I’m disappointed for Josh,” Counsell said. “A system that doesn’t reward Josh Hader doesn’t make sense to me.”
Counsell has found different and unique ways to use Hader rather than the traditional ninth-inning closer’s role that awards the reliever a save. Because saves are valued so highly in arbitration cases for closers, he didn’t have that statistic on his side during the hearing despite being named the NL reliever of the year the last two seasons.
Counsell met with Hader on Saturday morning to discuss the situation, offer his take on the situation and make sure both are on the same page moving forward considering his usage.
“Josh wants to win baseball games, and he knows how we’re going to do it,” Counsell said. “But I firmly believe pitchers should be rewarded for that. The system is wrong. It’s ridiculous.”
Ray looks to bounce back
If outfielder Corey Ray could hit the rewind button, he’d likely go all the way back to last spring.
In the midst of a solid camp, the 2016 first-round pick dislocated the middle finger on his right hand on a slide into second base. But he never informed the training staff of the injury.
Ray shipped out to Class AAA San Antonio not long thereafter, where he sought to build off a 2018 season in which he was named the Brewers’ minor-league player of the year after hitting 27 home runs, driving in 74 runs and stealing 37 bases in 135 games at Class AA Biloxi.
But his finger never completely healed.
Ray spent two weeks on the injured list early in the season, then returned to the IR for almost two months after coming back too soon. That left him to play in only 64 games (53 at San Antonio and 11 at Biloxi) and hit .198 with seven homers and 21 RBI. He was able to avoid surgery.
In camp early this spring – his third at the major-league level – Ray says he’s back to full health. And he’s learned his lesson.
“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “And also, when I do say something and I am going through the treatment, take my time and make sure it’s completely healed before I come back. Because I think coming back too early, you re-aggravate it and it makes the recovery process longer.”
Ray, 25, had plenty of people excited with his play early last spring when he hit a couple homers – including one tapemeasure shot – and drove in eight runs while hitting .250 in 26 Cactus League games.
Counsell said Ray will get plenty more opportunities this spring with the Brewers.
“Look, it’s a big year for Corey, without question,” he said. “He’s worked really hard this offseason on foundational stuff for him offensively. But none of it can happen without health. You’ll see him a ton in spring training because he needs at-bats.
“At-bats, plate appearances are still the thing that Corey will as much as anybody benefit from. Learning himself, knowing himself better.”
Ray prides himself on his toughness, a trait he says his father instilled in him when he was growing up in Chicago. That, coupled with his focus on finally arriving in the major leagues, is what played into his attempts to play through his injury.
Had things broken differently, maybe it would have been Ray and not Tyrone Taylor who’d have received a September call-up. The Brewers’ outfield was obviously stacked – and even more so this season with the addition of Avisaíl García – but the lure of the major leagues is strong.
“I kind of got caught up in that last year – ‘I’m hurt, I’ve got to get back, maybe there’s a chance that I’ll have an opportunity on the big-league side,” said Ray, who was placed on the 40-man roster Nov. 20.
“But now it’s just about playing the game and being grateful and having the mindset that I’m still able to play baseball as a job, so enjoy it wherever it is that I am. Then whatever happens, happens after that.
“It’s in there. I’m capable. I’ve just got to stay healthy. If I stay on the field, I think good things will happen.”
Ray, whose sparkling smile and Twitter handle (@FutureIs_Bright) speak volumes about his personality, has bounced back from difficult seasons before -most notably his 2017 at advanced Class A Carolina.
Now, he’ll need to do it again. “I learned a lot last year, a lot about myself mentally,” Ray said. “It was definitely a mental drain. But you learn what you have in the tank, and that’s the worst that I’ve been.
“So, it’s only up from here.”