Peralta struck out 13 batters over 5.2 scoreless innings Sunday in his big-league debut against the Rockies. He picked up the win, allowing just one hit while walking two.
This was an exaggerated version of the scouting report, as Peralta has always missed a ton of bats, limited hits and walked a fairly high percentage of batters. The last pitcher to strike out 13 or more batters during his big-league debut was Stephen Strasburg, back in 2010. Peralta generated 18 swinging strikes on four-seam fastballs -- the most for a National League pitcher this season. Only James Paxton has had more this year, when he got 20 swinging strikes on his four-seamer en route to fanning 16 against the Athletics on May 2. The Brewers have not yet announced whether Peralta will get another turn in the rotation, as this was originally intended to just be a spot start. They can operate with a four-man rotation next week with the hopes that Chase Anderson (illness) will be able to slot in the following Monday. That said, Peralta's start was so historically impressive, it would be awfully odd to send him down in favor of Brandon Woodruff or Brent Suter. If he sticks, the strikeouts should continue to be a big part of his game, which makes him a worthwhile add in many formats, even without the guarantee of a start next week.