Rays Freddy Peralta named AL Pitcher of the Month for September

It took a while, but the Tampa Bay Rays eventually got what they hoped for from trade deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta. The starting pitcher has now earned some recognition for his efforts.

Peralta has been named AL Pitcher of the Month for September following his dominant performance.

He went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA, 23 strikeouts and a stunning 0.89 WHIP across 28 innings pitched. He also held opponents to a miniscule .162 batting average.

Peralta found his groove with the Rays after his struggles with the Mets followed him to Tampa Bay. He posted an inflated 7.17 ERA across his first four starts with his new club. Peralta held a 5-9 record with a 4.99 ERA with 113 strikeouts across 22 starts with the Mets before being traded to Tampa.

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns commented on his former pitcher's success since joining the Rays.

"It's always instructive when a player goes someplace else and has a level of success that they didn't have here, Stearns said, via SNY.

From the source #Rays Freddy Peralta named AL Pitcher of the Month for September.

The big question for the Rays is whether or not Peralta can continue his resurgence in the playoffs.

The AL East champs will await the winner of the AL Wild Card Series between the Yankees and Red Sox.

Peralta will be a significant arm in the Rays postseason rotation alongside Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez. Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour will also serve as key arms providing depth.

Peralta's recent stretch of dominance is a welcome sight for the Rays, but his resurgence will be tested in the postseason.

Peralta doesn't have the strongest career postseason numbers, with a 1-3 record, 4.32 ERA and 41 strikeouts. Regardless, his September performance has been encouraging for the Rays, and now he's been recognized for his efforts.