How will Mets' new ace handle NY spotlight? 'I'm ready for this'

NEW YORK -- At some point this offseason, Freddy Peralta figured a team would trade for him. He’s pleased that it wound up being the Mets.

“It’s a different market, different city,” Peralta said Tuesday on an introductory video call. “There’s a lot more fans, a lot more people watching. Being honest, I like the competition that we’re going to face here. I’ve been around, obviously, watching for years what it is to be part of that big-market team. I’m excited to be part of the team.”

While Peralta has spent his entire big league career to date in one of Major League Baseball’s smallest markets in Milwaukee, he has experience pitching in New York. Specifically, Peralta recalled “the vibes” and “the energy of the fans” at Yankee Stadium last Opening Day, when he threw in front of 46,208 people on a cold, windy day. That experience, Peralta said, is about to become his new normal. The way he’s felt in the past during playoff starts is how he anticipates feeling all the time.

“I’m ready for this,” Peralta said. “I feel proud to be here and be part of the New York Mets team.”

That’s not to say Peralta knows exactly what to expect. During the offseason, he works out daily with former Mets and Yankees pitcher Luis Severino, who has been advising Peralta on life in his new city.

“Of course we’ve been having conversations about New York,” Peralta said. “I got told that I’m going to feel great in general because there’s a lot of things in New York that I wasn’t going to see in another city. I can’t wait. I’m very excited about it.”

In addition to Severino, Peralta has already Facetimed his former Brewers teammate, Tyrone Taylor, while also having conversations with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Sean Manaea and Francisco Alvarez. He’s a social person, which should help him adapt quickly to his new environment. He’s also no stranger to important games, which should allow him to assimilate more easily to his new home.

Even though trades can be difficult on players, Peralta does not believe his transition to the Mets should be overly difficult.

“I think number one, I was a fan of the New York Mets,” he said. “Also, I’m really happy because I know that I’m going to be playing next to some superstars like Soto and other guys like [Bo] Bichette. Those guys, it’s going to be nice. It’s going to be great to be around those guys. What makes me feel good too is playing for New York where we have a bunch of Latinos. They make us get better. They challenge us to be better every day, because they ask to win. And that’s what we need to do. We need to win to get to the World Series.”

If the Mets achieve that goal, Peralta will likely be a significant part of it, anchoring a rotation that should also include Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Manaea and Kodai Senga. Beyond that is an open question. Under contract just through this season, Peralta can become a free agent in November, unless he negotiates a contract extension first.

Much like president of baseball operations David Stearns, Peralta was noncommittal to that idea, calling it something the sides can perhaps explore in time.

“I just got here,” Peralta said. “I think that I’ve got to see awhile, I have to share time with my teammates and think about different ideas, learn about everybody, coaches, the organization in general. And then we can see.”