The upcoming World Series will be an emotional one for Freddy Peralta. The Tampa Bay Rays pitcher and newly crowned ALCS MVP spent his first eight MLB seasons with the Brewers before getting traded to the New York Mets last offseason.

After a disappointing time in New York, he was traded again midseason to the Rays, where he has rediscovered his best form. Now, he is set to face his old teammates on the biggest stage of all, which is what they wanted to happen all along.

“It's crazy because I spent a long time here with the Brewers trying to win. We had a lot of fun. We made in 2018, to Game 7, and we lost. And I remember last year we got swept by the Dodgers. The year that I leave, they make it to the World Series. I'm very happy for them. I remember I texted some of the guys just wishing them the best. And they answered back telling me, “We want play against you guys because we want to see you there.” And look, it's real now,” Peralta said in a video posted by Cameron Ezeir on X, formerly Twitter.

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In eight seasons with the Brewers, Peralta went 70-42 in 211 appearances, with a 3.20 ERA. And in his 10 regular-season appearances with the Rays, he had a 2.87 ERA. He has been especially lights-out in the postseason, with a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings over four appearances. That includes his excellent Game 6 outing, with one earned run in 5.1 innings, to close out the Cleveland Guardians.

Peralta will have to wait to face off against his old Brewers teammates, though. The Rays have Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen penciled in as their starters for Games 1 and 2 in Milwaukee, so Peralta will likely get the start in Game 3 at Tropicana Field.