South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 52: Sammy Peralta

Sammy Peralta
Left-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´2´´
205 pounds
Age: 24
2020 SSHP Top Prospect Ranking 49
2021 SSS Top Prospect Ranking 57
2022 SSS Top Prospect Ranking N/R
2022 High Level Charlotte (AAA)
Age relative to high level -3.0 years
SSS rank among all left-handed relief pitchers in the system 4
Overall 2022 season stats 4-4 ⚾️ 34 games (10 finished) ⚾️ 4 SV ⚾️ 62 IP ⚾️ 3.77 ERA ⚾️ 1.242 WHIP ⚾️ 76 K ⚾️ 22 BB

Sammy Peralta, a native of Queens, was a well-traveled collegian who pitched for San Jacinto CC, Palm Beach State College and Division II powerhouse University of Tampa. Other than a high walk total that caused his ERA and WHIP to balloon a bit, he supplied his Spartans enough strikeouts to entice the White Sox to select him in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft. In 2019 for Tampa, Peralta posted a 4.93 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 22 appearances (42 innings) by allowing 33 hits and 25 walks (13.2%) while striking out 74 (38.9%). Excluding his first four outings, he was terrific over his final 34 1⁄3 innings, posting a 2.62 ERA and 1.08 WHIP during that span.

After four outstanding appearances for the AZL White Sox in his pro debut that year, in which he allowed just three hits and two walks in 6 1⁄3 innings while striking out 13, Peralta was promoted to Great Falls on July 4. Peralta continued his mastery of Rookie League hitters with the Voyagers, as he kept his walks and hits down while striking out 45 hitters in just more than 30 innings. Combined with both teams in 18 outings spanning 36 2⁄3 innings, Peralta compiled a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP by relinquishing just 25 hits (.182 OBA) and 10 walks (6.7%) while fanning 58 (38.7%). When hitters made contact off him, they hit grounders over 43% of the time. While lefties hit Peralta at a .250 clip, he held righties to a .165 average.

After the 2020 pandemic cancellation of the minors, Peralta spent his first three months of this season with Kannapolis before a promotion to Winston-Salem. With little disparity between stops, Peralta combined to produce a 4.07 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 31 games (55 1⁄3 innings) by allowing 54 hits (.251 OBA) and 16 free passes (6.6%) while striking out 68 (27.9%). While lefties hit him 65 points better in 2019, righties fared better by nearly the same margin this year.

In his first two years, Peralta had managed to limit offensive production by keeping the ball down, inducing batters to strike out 32% of the time and limiting his free passes.

As expected, Peralta started 2022 on the Birmingham roster, where he pitched well (3.70 ERA over 29 games) until injury knocked him out for a month. Upon return, he got a promotion to Charlotte for five games that was part merit, part hey Triple-A is still playing, get some reps.

On the latter point, Peralta scored an AFL assignment and was Glendale’s best White Sox pitcher, going nine games with a 3.21 ERA.

Peralta’s Baseball Cube player ratings
K/BB 87
Walks 78
Strikeouts 78
Durability 72
vs. Power 59
Hittable 59
Team Winning Percentage .431

Peralta has been a consistent pitcher throughout his time in the minors, and has risen to face every challenge. He’ll be rewarded with a return to Charlotte in 2023, as possibly the first southpaw pen arm to be called up when injury invariably occurs.

2023 South Side Sox Top 102 White Sox Prospects

52. Sammy Peralta, LHRP
53. Jacob Burke, CF
54. Moisés Castillo, SS
55. Victor Quezada, 3B
56. Edgar Navarro, RHRP
57. Craig Dedelow, RF
58. Darío Borrero, 1B
59. Michael Turner, C
60. Tyler Osik, 1B
61. Haylen Green, LHRP
62. Mark McLaughlin, RHRP
63. Terrell Tatum, LF
64. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
65. Randel Mondesí, LF
66. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
67. Declan Cronin, RHRP
68. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
69. Colby Smelley, C
70. Ethan Hammerberg, RHRP
71. Lincoln Henzman, RHRP
72. Vince Vannelle, RHRP
73. Brooks Baldwin, 3B-2B
74. James Beard, CF
75. Gabriel Rodríguez, RHSP
76. Ronny Hernandez, C
77. Troy Claunch, C
78. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
79. Tim Elko, 1B
80. Yoelvín Silven, RHRP
81. Trey Jeans, LHRP
82. Jerry Burke, RHSP
83. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
84. Mason Adams, RHSP
85. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
86. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
87. Laz Rivera, 3B
88. Xavier Fernández, C
89. Álvaro Agüero, CF
90. Ben Norman, RF
91. Erick Bello, RHRP
92. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
93. Arnold Prado, RF
94. Alsander Womack, 2B
95. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
96. Evan Skoug, C
97. Noah Owen, RHSP
98. Javier Mora, 2B
99. Will Kincanon, RHRP
100. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
101. Billy Seidl, RHRP
102. José Rodulfo, RHRP