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Why Bruce Bochy is confident in Tony Vitello's success as new Giants manager

Why Bruce Bochy is confident in Tony Vitello's success as new Giants manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While many talking heads question new Giants manager Tony Vitello’s coaching experience, one World Series-winning manager sees no issue. 

Bruce Bochy, former Giants manager and newly appointed special advisor to baseball operations, explained his confidence in Vitello’s ability in an interview on KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” show.  

“I can tell you this, he knows the game, man. He’s smart,” Bochy said. “He’s worn a lot of hats. He’s been a coach. He’s been a pitching coach. It wasn’t an easy road to get to being the head coach of Tennessee. I mean, he grinded his way up to where he got there, and he’s earned this, I think, when you look at the success that he’s had.” 

Bochy said he recently met with Vitello in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite the two having just a few conversations, Bochy is thoroughly impressed with the Giants’ new skipper. 

“And just to me, he’s got a great way about him,” Bochy explained.  “You know, [he] speaks well. He’s got a great feel for people, and to me, that’s the most important job that he’ll have is managing his people, and he’s so good at that. And so, I really think he’s going to have a lot of success in the major leagues.” 

Vitello’s interpersonal skills were a part of what stood about to president of baseball operations Buster Posey when conducting the search for the new Giants manager. Bochy seems to agree that Vitello has what it takes to lead the group. 

Nevertheless, Vitello’s jump to MLB surely will provide its challenges. Bochy was asked what the biggest challenge will be in that jump from college baseball. 

“I’d say more than anything, it’s just the number of games. You’re talking 162 games, and hopefully more,” Bochy said. 

The former Giants manager was known for his bullpen management, leading San Francisco to three World Series titles. Bochy highlighted that as a large focus in the longer seasons. 

“In college, I’m sure you got your horses out there and every game you’re doing all you can to win every game, similar to what the [MLB] postseason is once you get there,” Bochy noted. “But during a regular season, you got to remember, man, it’s a long season. It’s a grind. You got to watch your horses. You got to take care of them so they’re fresh down the stretch.” 

With advisors such as Bochy on his side, Vitello is making the jump to MLB with an exceptional supporting cast. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Fantasy Basketball Stock Up Stock Down: Jaime Jaquez Jr. breaking out

The NBA season is picking up steam and moving along quickly. Sample sizes are getting bigger, rotations are becoming clearer, and as a result, there’s plenty to read into as it pertains to fantasy basketball.

For our Week 3 Stock Up, Stock Down, we explore the east and west coasts while visiting the south in the process.

NBA: Charlotte Hornets at New Orleans Pelicans
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Kon Knueppel steps up for Charlotte
Rookie Kon Knueppel has made the most of his opportunities early into the 2025-26 season.

→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock:The Celtics take on the 76ers at 8pm ET, followed by the Nuggets at the Kings at 11 pm ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.

STOCK UP

Grayson Allen - SG/SF, Suns

Here are some numbers for you to digest: 107 points, 10 steals, 19 assists, and 27 three-pointers — those are the November totals for Grayson Allen through five games. Essentially, for any fantasy managers out there needing a high-volume three-point shooter that can make contributions in other statistically relevant categories for fantasy leagues, Allen’s the guy. He’s kept his starting spot in every one of the Suns’ 11 games this season and maintained his role, regardless of which other players have been in or out of Phoenix’s lineup. What he’s providing seems sustainable — he’s simply doing what he’s done well throughout his career, which is shoot the ball with high accuracy from deep. The playmaking bump this season has been an added bonus. Nonetheless, Allen could be a solid roster addition in fantasy leagues, even if it's just for streaming purposes.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. - SG/SF/PF, Heat

Jaquez Jr.’s third NBA season is going about as well as anyone could have imagined, especially after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season in which he could hardly crack the nightly rotation by its end. Despite not starting in any of Miami’s 11 games thus far, he’s played nearly 30.0 minutes per contest and ranks second on the team in assists per game and third in rebounds per game, all while being one of four Heat players to average more than 17.5 points per contest. These are all career-best marks for the former UCLA Bruin, who’s been on triple-double alert the last three games. The three-point production has dipped, but that may be a non-issue for those looking to add talent to their fantasy rosters.

Karl-Anthony Towns - PF/C, Knicks

I almost included KAT in last week’s “Stock Down” section, but figured I could probably wait. My patience was rewarded, apparently, as the seasoned 11th-year forward has since put up some fantastic numbers. He’s up to 24.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game across New York’s current four-game winning streak, while also averaging 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 4.0 assists over that time. The three-point shooting is one of the last parts of his game yet to arrive this season. If Towns can return to form, or even improve slightly on what’s been career-worst three-point accuracy to this point, his fantasy production would take another bump.

NBA: Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers
Fantasy Basketball Week 4 Schedule Primer: Avoid the 76ers
Philadelphia has a two-game week, which lowers the fantasy value of its deep-league options.

STOCK DOWN

Desmond Bane - SG/SF, Magic

The early-tenure results for Bane and the Magic likely haven’t gone the way either party had expected. Orlando traded for the sharpshooting wing in hopes that his proven track record as a scorer would help take the Magic to the next level. There have been flashes, but instead, the sixth-year player is having his least productive season on offense since his rookie campaign. His 43.7 field-goal percentage is the lowest of his career, as is the rough 27.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Such struggles have led Bane to a big decrease in points per game, with his assists, rebounds, and minutes per game also taking a hit. Bane did score 22 points and sink a game-winning three-pointer on Monday night to help the Magic beat the Trail Blazers – perhaps that’ll serve as the turning point in what’s been a slow start.

Ja Morant - PG, Grizzlies

The discourse surrounding Ja Morant has been very loud of late for several reasons. Over his last five games, he's averaging 15.0 points, has shot just 3-of-28 from beyond the arc, and hasn’t shot above 35.0% in any of the five games. Add to that the 4.4 turnovers per game, and you get a player who has provided fantasy managers with much value of late. He’s sustained high-level production throughout his career and is obviously talented enough to get back on track here rather quickly. But it’s already been a bumpy ride for Morant and the Grizzlies over the first few weeks of the season. The pathway to a quick turnaround isn’t necessarily straightforward.

Daniel Gafford - C, Mavericks

Maybe it’s unfair to put this lob-threat, play-finishing type of center in the “Stock Down” category, given his late start to the season due to a previous ankle injury, and the Mavericks’ current point guard situation. However, Gafford’s been in the lineup for six games now, with neither Anthony Davis (calf) nor Dereck Lively II (knee) available to take reps away from him, and he’s proceeded to produce the type of scoring and rebounding averages that would mark his lowest since 2020-21 if the season ended today. He probably needs a table-setter out on the floor with him in order to see a noteworthy increase in production, but that seems more like wishful thinking than something that’ll become a reality anytime soon.

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Columbus Blue Jackets (15 pts) vs. Seattle Kraken (18 pts) Game Preview

  The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.   

The Kraken come into this game sitting third in the Pacific Division with 18 points. There 4-4-2 in their last 10, and since November 1st, they're 2-2-1. For their standards, they're in a bit of a slump.

But their slump doesn't compare to the Blue Jackets slump, who are 0-3-1 on their current five game trip. I know what you're thinking - "I can't wait until this team comes home." Don't get comfortable, because after a brief three game homestand, they're right back on the road for four more games. And those games won't be easy at all. 

There's nothing left to say. Just win a game. 

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 13.9% - 31st in NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 71.4% - 28th in NHL
  • Goals For - 47 - 19th in NHL
  • Goals Against - 50 - 19th in NHL

Kraken Stats

  • Power Play - 19.6% - 15th in NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 69.2% - 30th in NHL
  • Goals For - 30 - 30th in NHL
  • Goals Against - 43 - 10th in NHL

Series History vs. Kraken 

  • Columbus is 3-5 all-time, and 2-2 on the road vs. Seattle.
  • The Jackets are 1-5 in the last six against the Kraken.
  • The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Kraken last season.

Who To Watch For The Kraken 

  • Jordan Eberle leads the Kraken with 5 goals and 11 points.
  • Vince Dunn and Matty Beniers are tied with 7 assists.
  • Joey Daccord is 6-2-3 with a SV% of .900. His last start was on November 5th.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Kraken 

  • Zach Werenski has 3 points in 5 career games vs. Seattle.
  • Sean Monahan has 4 points in 7 games.
  • Boone Jenner has 2 points in 5 career games vs. the Kraken.

Injuries - Gudbranson on IR

  • Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 7 games - IR
  • Miles Wood - Illness
  • Cole Sillinger - Illness

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 19

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

Let us know what you think below.

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Giants' Tony Vitello hire is ‘insulting' to former MLB manager Joe Maddon

Giants' Tony Vitello hire is ‘insulting' to former MLB manager Joe Maddon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants are taking a risk with their historic hire of Tony Vitello as their next manager, and not everyone loves the move.

Specifically, former MLB manager Joe Maddon, who joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Tuesday and explained why he was insulted by San Francisco’s decision to hire a manager straight from the collegiate level.

“Quite frankly, I’m using the word ‘insulting’ only from the perspective that you don’t have to have any kind of experience on a professional level to do this job anymore,” Maddon said. “Because when I was coming up, you had to have all that, you had to go through the minor leagues, you had to ride your buses. I was a scout, I started in 1981, I finally get a managerial job in 2006. There was a rite of passage, a method to get to that point. So to think somebody can just do what you took 20-some years to be considered qualified to, it is kind of insulting.”

Maddon then proceeded to wish Vitello well while oddly comparing the new Giants manager’s lack of MLB experience to other high-profile jobs around the country that are being filled by candidates who might not have the traditional experience in their respective fields, including New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

“Now, having said that, the next part is, I wish him nothing but the best, because I watch videos of the guy and I can actually understand why it’s perceived that he’s ready to do something like this,” Maddon added. “I guess the overarching point is, in today’s world, prerequisites to get jobs of this caliber, even jobs like the Mayor job of New York City now, it doesn’t require the years of experience that you may have had to have gone through in the past.

“I think communication skills, perceived leadership skills, those are the kind of things that become more valid or important and not necessarily having kind of like, internal knowledge, working knowledge of the craft at hand, which would be Major League Baseball or running a city. It’s not just baseball, it permeates throughout the entire world right now.”

Maddon then was asked if Vitello’s hire is a good or bad thing for baseball moving forward.

“I don’t think it’s either, I just think it’s baseball,” Maddon explained. “It’s going to be a good thing for the Giants if it works out well, which honestly, I am rooting for him. I didn’t know of him until he was hired and then I started looking at videos and then I said ‘Oh, I get it. I understand why.'”

Does he?

It’s safe to assume neither Vitello nor the Giants care.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Steve Borthwick warns England to prepare for pain in All Blacks clash

  • Head coach urges side ‘to give absolutely everything’

  • Ford returns at fly-half with Itoje back to captain side

Steve Borthwick has called on his side to prepare for “pain and suffering” if they are to end their losing run against the All Blacks, demanding the most selfless England team in history in the showdown on Saturday.

Predicting an aerial bombardment from New Zealand, Borthwick has recalled George Ford, insisting his fly‑half general “will be an England coach in the future”, and again loaded his bench with the “Pom Squad”, including six British & Irish Lions among his replacements.

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Carlos Alcaraz battles back to beat Taylor Fritz: ATP Finals tennis – as it happened

Taylor Fritz did all he could, but it still wasn’t enough to beat Carlos Alcaraz, who recovered after losing the first set to win an epic in three

*Alcaraz 1-1 Fritz The last thing Fritz will want is for Alcraraz to rush through an easy hold and he makes 0-15, then attacks a second serve with a backhand down the line, as we suggested he should, for 0-30. And, though Alcaraz halves his arrears, Faritz runs around his forehand to clout down the line, raising two break points; the first disappears with an overhit forehand, the second with a service winner. Up advantage, though, Alcaraz errs, and this is already ridiculously enjoyable, Fritz taking control of the next rally by landing a forehand on to the baseline and seeing it home with backhands down the line to earn a third break point. And this time he looks ready to take it, racing to net when a drop sits up … but Alcaraz reads him and puts away the volley! The anticipation there was spooky, and there’s something about watching him play that’s almost wrong, stuff that shouldn’t be possible happening with such regularity it feels unreal, or staged. And that’s exactly the next point, a no-look drop, discharged with Fritz expecting a booming cross-court shot, followed up with a perfectly disguised and perfect lob; from there, Alcaraz sees out the hold, and these two games have been of absurdly high standard.

Alcaraz 0-1 Fritz* (denotes server) A forehand clouted wide gives Alcaraz 0-15 … but that’s nothing a service winner can’t solve. At 30-15, though, a tame forehand into the net puts him under immediate pressure … but that’s nothing an ace can’t serve. He quickly makes 40-30, too, but a backhand winner sizzles past him cross, and another netted forehand means Alcaraz has advantage. Fritz looks nervous, reflecting how well he knows he’s playing: this is is his time. He saves break point with a forehand winner, but is soon down advantage again, totally dominated in the next rally. Also again, though, he restores deuce, and this time an ace raises game point … only to be followed by a double. On the one hand, this isn’t the game Fritz had in mind when he opted to serve but, on the other, if he can see out the tension and hold, it’ll fortify him with confidence. Meantime, though, an ace earns another advantage, but again, he can’t see it out; what a start to the match this is. AND HAVE A LOOK! Again up advantage and this tome at the net with a simple putaway there for him, Fritz picks out Alcaraz who hoists a lob, then deals with the tweener sent at him in riposte via volley. That was another terrific exchange, was, restoring deuce, but Fritz again makes his ad, this time punishing down an ace to secure a nine-minute hold. MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE.

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Embiid ruled out for Sixers-Celtics with right knee soreness

Embiid ruled out for Sixers-Celtics with right knee soreness originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid is sidelined with a new knee issue.

The star big man has been ruled out for the Sixers’ game Tuesday night vs. the Celtics because of right knee soreness. Embiid is being evaluated by team doctors, a Sixers official said early Tuesday afternoon.

Embiid did not appear on the Sixers’ initial injury report Monday night. He’d sat out the team’s’ loss Sunday to the Pistons with a “left knee injury management” designation and generally been unavailable for both legs of back-to-backs. 

After a season plagued by left knee problems, Embiid’s minutes had been restricted to begin the 2025-26 campaign. He played a season-high 26 Saturday and scored 29 points in the Sixers’ win over the Raptors. Overall, Embiid’s made six appearances for the 6-4 Sixers and averaged 23.3 minutes. He’s posted 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest.

The Sixers also ruled out Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) and Johni Broome (right ankle sprain) against Boston.

Both George and Barlow took jumpers following the Sixers’ Tuesday morning shootaround. Barlow’s presence (with a sleeve around his right elbow) is a notable development. The 22-year-old forward had been unable to participate in any basketball activities for weeks and needed to wear a large brace on his right arm. On Friday, a Sixers official had said George was set to meet with doctors over the weekend to determine his next steps.

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England fell short in the rugby league Ashes. How can they improve?

Australia won in London, Liverpool and Leeds without being at their best. Shaun Wane needs to make changes

By No Helmets Required

Shaun Wane said England needed to take advantage of everything they could to beat Australia but he made a series of decisions that seemed to do the opposite. Taken individually, Wane’s choices could be justified. As a whole they spoke of an inability to read the room and possibly even an outdated approach to international sport. While the Kangaroos embraced the adventure of an Ashes series, Wane pushed England into a bunker. In the end they lost all three Tests.

After a wave of publicity and public engagement, the England players disappeared once the series began. Everything changed from the day before the first Test at Wembley, when England didn’t turn up for the captain’s run. Where was the community engagement? Where were the key players in the media? While the exuberant Kangaroos made hay on and off the field, England spent most of the series in Worsley and Wigan.

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Golden Knights Pose Third Period Scrap, Can't Catch Two-Time Champion Panthers

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights lost their third straight home game Monday night, as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers held on for a 3-2 victory.

Brad Marchand extended his goal streak to five games with his sixth goal in that span and 11th of the season, while Jesper Boqvist and Sam Reinhart also scored to lead the Cats.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for Florida.

Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev scored in the third period, both goals drawing the Knights to within one goal. Rookie Carl Lindbom made 17 saves.

Vegas' second-period woes continued, as it's now been outscored 8-1 in the middle frame over its last nine games. The Knights opened the season tied for the league lead after outscoring teams 10-4 in the second period, but have struggled to find any rhythm offensively after the first intermission.

The power play has also been an issue, as the Knights went 0 for 3 with a man advantage and are now 3 of 29 with an extra skater in the last nine games.

Image

KEY MOMENT: With what would eventually be the "sign of things to come," Mitch Marner's first-period miss at a wide-open net seemingly set the tone for how the night would go for Vegas. Marner deked Bobrovsky and had a wide-open look for a lift of the puck into the net. Maybe easier said than done, but Marner put too much on the puck, which appeared to deflect off Bobrovsky's skate high over the goal and into the net... the one protecting the crowd above the end board.

KEY STAT: Florida is now 5-1 against Vegas since losing to the Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup. Prior to meeting in the Cup Final, Vegas had won seven of the first 10 regular-season meetings after entering the league. Then the Knights won the Cup in five games, culminating with a 9-3 demolition in Game 5. Since then, the Panthers have outscored Vegas 18-12 in winning five of six.

WHAT A KNIGHT: It's hard to ignore what Lindbom has been thrust into since starter Adin Hill was sidelined with an injury on Oct. 20. Making just his fourth start, Lindbom (0-3-1, 3.25 GAA, .869 SV%) has now faced the Panthers, Colorado and Tampa Bay twice. In three of those games, Lindbom has faced former Vezina winners Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy. And over his four starts, the Knights have provided the rookie with eight goals of support, 2.0 per game.

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights conclude their season-long six-game homestand on Thursday against the New York Islanders.

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Warriors' Draymond Green praises ‘great' hometown Pistons team amid hot start

Warriors' Draymond Green praises ‘great' hometown Pistons team amid hot start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Detroit Pistons have been dwelling in the depths of the NBA’s Eastern Conference for much of the last decade. 

But that seems to be changing in a big way. The Pistons are 9-2 to start the 2025-26 NBA season on the heels of a playoff appearance. 

Draymond Green, on the latest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” said his hometown team is taking the next step and could be championship contenders this season. 

“[The] Pistons should have [beaten] the New York Knicks,” Green said. “And when you come out of a series knowing everything that you did wrong… you’re coming into that next year, you’re saying amongst each other, ‘Yo, we’re ready to take this next step…’”  

“… ‘We know we did X,Y and Z wrong, and if we can correct those things, we’re in the Eastern Conference Finals. We’re giving ourselves a chance.’ And so, they’re coming out with that type of energy and that type of attitude, and they look great. They look incredible.” 

Green notes that the Pistons, led by All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, have the team construction that a contender needs for success in the playoffs. 

“Anytime you’re gonna compete for a championship, guess what you must have? You must have an MVP candidate. Cade Cunningham is definitely that right now,” Green explained. “You usually have a second All Star, Jalen Duren is showing that he’s going to be that this year….”  

“…You usually have a great defender, Ausar Thompson is putting his fork in the ground. You must have a good bench, Caris LeVert is coming off that bench scoring. You must have some shooting. So, when you start to look at the team, you look at the schedule and yeah it is what it is, but these boys [are] coming.” 

The Pistons’ makeup of young, emerging players is an encouraging sign of good things to come. Green mentioned that their loss to the more-experienced Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs is akin to the Warriors’ playoff exits against the veteran-led San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers when the Golden State core was coming of age. 

The disappointing playoff exit is a learning lesson for the young Detroit core. 

“It’s beautiful to watch, man… the Pistons are taking that next step, and I’m looking forward to watching it all year,” Green said. 

The Pistons’ 9-2 record through 11 games is the best in the Eastern Conference heading into Tuesday, and is the second-best in the NBA behind the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder (10-1). 

Green’s Warriors will face the Pistons twice this season, first on Jan. 30 in Detroit and next on Mar. 20 in Golden State. 

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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Pros and Cons: Should the Mets trade for Freddy Peralta?

The easiest and cleanest way for the Mets to add a top-of-the-rotation starter to their staff this offseason is to turn to the free agent market, where the headliners are Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Ranger Suarez.

Ahead of his age-32 season, Valdez is the oldest of the available top starters. And he'll be seeking a huge deal.

King, who will be entering his age-31 season in 2026, was tremendous for the Padres in 2024 as he transitioned from relieving to starting. But he made just 15 starts in 2025 as he dealt with a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder and also lost time due to a knee injury.

Suarez, who turned 30 in August, might be the safest bet -- but he's also the least imposing. He has allowed 8.6 hits per nine during his eight-year career, is not a big strikeout guy, and has never thrown 158 innings or more in a season.

Then there's Cease, whose upside is sky high.

Entering his age-30 season, Cease has finished in the top-four in Cy Young voting two of the last four seasons. And he eats tons of innings. However, he's coming off a campaign where he had a 4.55 ERA, and has been maddeningly inconsistent.

With Suarez not an ideal fit, Valdez in line for a monster contract, King having serious injury concerns, and the up and down Cease possibly looking at a deal as long as six years, could a trade make the most sense for the Mets?

And if so, should Brewers ace Freddy Peralta be near the top of New York's list?

Here are the pros and cons of dealing for Peralta... 

Oct 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field.
Oct 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone - Imagn Images

PROS

Peralta is coming off a phenomenal 2025 season, where he had a career-best 2.70 ERA in 176.2 innings. He posted a 1.07 WHIP, allowed just 124 hits, and struck out 204 batters -- a rate of 10.4 per nine.

Since transitioning in 2021 from mainly a relief option to the starting rotation, Peralta has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. 

In 139 starts over the last five years, Peralta has a 3.30 ERA and 1.09 WHIP and has fanned 895 batters in 738.1 innings while allowing just 536 hits. He has also been reliable when it comes to taking the ball, tossing 165.2 innings or more reach of the last three seasons..

His ability to miss bats and limit hits is elite, as is his stuff. 

Peralta relies mainly on a four-seam fastball (which he threw 53 percent of the time this past season), a changeup, and a curve. He'll also mix in a slider.

In 2025, his pitching run value graded out in the 97th percentile, via Baseball Savant. And all of his individual pitches were tremendous -- the fastball was in the 84th percentile, the breaking balls were in the 88th percentile, and the changeup was in the 96th percentile. 

Looking at Peralta's advanced metrics, he was near the top of the league in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, hard hit percentage, and extension.

Peralta is also almost unbelievably inexpensive, set to make just $8 million in 2026 in what is his final year before free agency. 

Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (not pictured) with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at American Family Field.
Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (not pictured) with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu - Imagn Images

CONS

There is no guarantee the Brewers will trade Peralta, so the Mets hitching their wagon to that possibility could be fruitless.

But the Brewers have often dealt players who are entering their walk year, and in some cases have traded key players with more team control than that.

They traded pending free agent Corbin Burnes during the 2023-24 offseason and pending free agent Devin Williams last offseason. At the 2022 trade deadline, the Brewers dealt Josh Hader to the Padres when he still had a year and change of team control remaining.

If Milwaukee makes Peralta available, though, it could cost a ton to acquire him.

It's very rare to be able to get a pitcher of Peralta's caliber on such a team-friendly contract, meaning it will likely require the Mets parting with a package of players it would pain them to surrender.

There's also the risk of giving up a huge package for what could amount to just one year of Peralta's services.

Looking at Peralta the pitcher, there really aren't many red flags.

His walk rate is a tick high and he doesn't induce many ground balls. But that's pretty much it. 

VERDICT

David Stearns is obviously very familiar with Peralta from his time with Milwaukee, which can't hurt. 

And if the Mets are unable to pry Tarik Skubal from the Tigers, Peralta -- or Joe Ryan of the Twins, or Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins -- should be the fallback plan.