Wily Peralta

The Royals brought Peralta up from Triple-A Omaha in June and he was almost immediately inserted into the closer role, taking the spot vacated by Kelvin Herrera. It was a surprise given that Peralta had struggled 4.37 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with Omaha. While the ratios didn't improve a whole lot with the big-league club, Peralta managed to convert all 14 of his save opportunities. His stuff has played up in the bullpen since he fizzled out as a starter for Milwaukee, but Peralta doesn't have much of an idea of where the ball is going as evidenced by his 15.4% walk rate last season. After reworking his contract with Kansas City, Peralta will return to the Royals and perhaps to the closer role to begin 2019. There's an outside chance the right-hander will learn to better harness his arsenal and build on his 2018 success.

The Brewers were hoping for Peralta to pick up where he left off in 2016, when he posted a 2.92 ERA over 10 second-half starts, and he got off to a good start in 2017, picking up the win in his first three outings. He was knocked around in his next start, though, and never recovered, first moving to the bullpen, and then making his final big-league appearance for the Brewers on July 27 before ultimately being outrighted to the Triple-A ranks. Hoping to get back on track in a new environment, Peralta latched on with the Royals during the offseason. He signed a major-league deal, so chances are good he breaks camp with the big club. He will likely be used in a bullpen role, however -- and in middle-to-long relief -- so it's a long shot he will be of much help to fantasy players.

Peralta's awful 2015 bled into his 2016, as he simply could not figure things out. He finished April with a 7.40 ERA in five starts and didn't improve through mid-June, when he and his 6.68 ERA were mercifully jettisoned to the minor leagues. The demotion seemed to work for Peralta, who came back to Milwaukee in August a much better pitcher. He recorded seven quality starts in 10 outings after his promotion, finishing with a 2.92 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 61.2 innings to close the season. Stuff has never been the problem for Peralta, whose heavy mid-90s fastball has good movement and can be paired with a vicious, albeit wild, slider to fuel his groundball-first approach. Peralta's performance down the stretch might have saved his career as a starter. He will only be 28 next season, so there's reason to believe the best has yet to come if he can carry the momentum of his strong finish forward.

Peralta missed almost nine weeks on the disabled list with a strained oblique and was never able to get his season on track. In 108.2 innings, Peralta allowed a career-high 4.72 ERA. He couldn't find his fastball for much of the season, and finished with an average velocity of 94.3 mph, down 1.5 mph from 2014. Peralta lives on that power, as he lacks a putaway pitch and needs the oomph of a high-90s fastball to consistently rack up strikeouts. After striking out at least six batters per nine innings throughout his career, Peralta's K/9 dropped to 5.0, and he is too wild (3.2 career BB/9) to survive in the majors without those strikeouts. Peralta still is able to induce plenty of groundballs (51.2 percent) but needs to rediscover his fastball if he's going to break out in 2016.

Peralta followed up a strong finish to the 2013 campaign with a breakout season in 2014, pitching nearly 200 innings and winning 17 games, tied for the eighth-most in the league. He showed off an impressive two-pitch combination of a high-90s sinking fastball and a hard-breaking slider, and while he did not post big strikeout numbers, he did improve slightly in that area after the All-Star break. Peralta will turn just 26 in May, so there’s no reason to believe he can’t take another step forward in 2015.

Peralta’s first full season in the bigs got off to a rough start, as he sat with a 6.08 ERA on June 16. He turned things around in a big way, however, as he posted a 3.05 ERA over his final 17 starts. Peralta did not post big strikeout numbers last season, but he throws a mid-90s fastball and a biting slider, and comes with a pedigree, ranking as a top-70 prospect in all of baseball before the last two years. Peralta’s late-season numbers hint at his upside, and he could be a late-round surprise in 2014.

Peralta had only an average season with Triple-A Nashville, posting a 4.66 ERA and 1.58 WHIP, but he surprisingly dominated in a late-season stint with the Brewers, flashing his dominant fastball and slider and posting a 2.25 ERA in his five starts. Peralta's showing with the Brewers reaffirmed his status as a top prospect and gives him an outside shot to open 2013 in the major league rotation.

Peralta has moved swiftly up the Milwaukee minor league system the last two seasons. He struck out a combined 157 in 152.2 innings between Double-A Huntsville and Triple-A Nashville in 2011. The Brewers will likely give him a long look during spring training to see if he can win a rotation spot or even a bullpen role. Scouts are very high on Peralta's potential as a future starter, though he may not get the opportunity out of the chute in 2012.

Peralta is one of Milwaukee's better pitching prospects and he pitched well in 2010. He posted a 3.60 ERA in 105 IP at High-A Brevard County and a 3.61 ERA in 42.1 innings for Double-A Huntsville. The only bad aspect of his season was that his strikeout rate plummeted from his previous seasons. The Brewers are still high on Peralta, and he'll likely start 2011 back at Double-A Huntsville.

Peralta had a 3.49 ERA and a 10.3 K/9IP ratio in 103.2 innings for Low-A Wisconsin in 2009. He has a good fastball and slider, but needs to refine a third pitch in order to make a successful jump as a starting pitcher. Peralta has also been held back by a high number of walks, not unlike many young pitchers. He has the talent to be a good bullpen arm or back of the rotation guy if he can iron out the kinks.

Peralta had an impressive 36:8 K:BB ratio in 29.1 innings for Rookie Level Helena in 2008. He was signed out of the Dominican in 2006 as a 17-year-old with potential so keep an eye on him as he progresses through the system.