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Wandy Peralta might be a key contributor for the Yankees

Now you may think that I loved the Mike Tauchman trade based on this title.ย  Well to put it lightly, I did not like the Tauchman trade at first. Wandy Peralta being on the Yankees wasn’t enough to soothe the sentimental attachment to Tauchman.

I still believe that the Yankees didn’t get enough value for Tauchman back (depending on the PTBNL), but I don’t dislike Wandy Peralta. The trade initially had me irate, however, I think I can understand it more now.

Peralta is not an elite reliever, but he’s certainly one that can contribute on the Yankees. His pitch mix and recent production suggest that he has some real potential, and he’s going to fit in well in New York.

The Recent Production From Wandy Peralta

Wandy Peralta has boasted a rather effective 3.70 ERA in his time in San Francisco with a 3.90 pCRA and 3.98 SIERA as well. Those aren’t mind-blowing numbers, but those certainly are solid for a reliever. What’s proven to be his bread and butter is his innate ability to generate a high amount of groundballs. Since becoming a Giant he has the 13th best groundball percentage among relievers (min. 40 innings pitched). He’s also managed the contact against well, with the 6th lowest EV against in this timespan as well. He’s able to be an effective groundball pitcher, and with his success in San Fran, the Yankees figure it can convert in New York as well.

Some Fantastic Pitches To Work With

Wandy Peralta is one of the hardest throwers out of the bullpen in baseball, posting a 95.4 average velocity on his fastball as a Giant. His fastball has a ton of horizontal movement, with it moving 3.2 inches more on average than an average fastball.

This pitch compliments his calling card, with his slider being his most frequently used pitch and a pitch that generates an over 40% whiff%

His changeup is a pitch that he uses frequently as well, and this year it’s really come into effect, as according to Run-Value it’s the 3rd best changeup in baseball on a per rate basis. It breaks a lot horizontally as well and deceives hitters as it moves similarly to the fastball.

His pitch mix has a lot of upside, with the fastball, breaking ball, and well-executed offspeed pitch all in his repertoire.

Finding a Role On the Yankees

Wandy Peralta isn’t a high leverage reliever, and the numbers back this up. He ranks bottom 3 in the leverage index numbers out of all Giants’ relievers. This makes sense, he’s not an elite reliever and he isn’t trusted to be such. That being said, he serves a purpose as a middle innings guy who can bridge to other relievers well. This is a very loaded bullpen he’s joining, which should take a lot of pressure off of him. Peralta has options as well, so the Yankees can rotate him with King and Nelson to keep the bullpen fresh. The bullpen has flexibility and another reliable arm for the Yankees to deploy as they build up their starters.

Do I think this was a great trade? No, but do I think Wandy Peralta will play a key role on this team? Yes, and I think that he’s certainly someone with amazing stuff.