If you made it big in the restaurant business, you got a Chef’s Table.

At Fantasy Alarm we have one too. Expect here you don’t need a reservation. Or a fat stack to pay for it.

The best part about the Chef’s Table is that you get to watch the preparation of your food from start to finish. Seeing every intricate detail that goes into your dish while enjoying the company of family and friends. Well, that’s what I’m gonna give you here.

Each week I will profile a player based on increased street cred throughout the industry.  Whether because of a recent hot streak, increased playing time or a promotion because of an injury. From there I will break down the recipe for that player’s success and determine if he is just a flash in the pan or someone who is gonna bring home the bacon.

Today’s Special: Wily Peralta

The Brewers are off to a hot start this April, and a lot of their early success has to be credited to the success of their starting rotation. While Peralta may not be a household name just yet, he has both the power arm and the pedigree to make a lasting impact for both the Brewers and prospective fantasy owners alike.

Peralta is sitting on a 3-0 record with a 2.19 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, having yet to allow more than two runs in four April starts against some playoff caliber teams (Red Sox, Cardinals, Padres and Pirates). For those who are unfamiliar with Peralta, he was the Brewers top prospect heading into the 2013 season, a year in which he ended up starting 32 games in the big leagues, but was unsuccessful to say the least (11-15 w/ 4.37 ERA). While there are significant differences between the two seasons, one thing has been consistent and that is his flame-throwing.

According to FanGraphs, Peralta has had an average fastball speed of 94.9 MPH through his first 41 Major League starts, which is a pitch that he relies heavily upon (67.4% thrown) between both a four-seam and two-seam fastball. While there are plenty of players that throw harder than him in the league, it’s the consistency that we have to love from Big Wily. Throwing hard doesn’t always translate into fantasy success, but it was his fastball that caught the eye of scouts before leaving the Dominican Republic to come stateside.

So you are probably wonder, “If he had the same fastball last season, why so dominant now?” Well, that’s because he is starting to rely more on his devastating slider and is now throwing it about 27 percent of the time, which has kept hitters honest at the plate. The increased used of the slider has cut back on the use of his changeup (3.1 %) meaning less chances of leaving one hanging for someone to clobber over the outfield wall.

While most pitchers that start off this hot in the early going usually have luck on their side, Peralta has yet to find a four-leaf clover. Through 24.2 innings pitched, Peralta has allowed 30 flyballs, four of which have left the park. That’s one home run every 7. 5 fly balls, resulting in a 1.49 HR/9 rate. A rate like that is far too high for someone pitching this well, and will start to drop as the season progresses. So not only is he one of the hottest pitchers in the National League right now, but he is only going to get better with time, as will his low strikeout totals.

He is currently sporting a 6.93 K/9 in the early going, but that is bound to trend upwards as he continues to gain confidence on the mound, based on his minor league production (10.20 K/9 ’11-’12 at Triple-A) prior to making the leap to the big leagues. We see it time and time again with hard-throwers, struggling with command, racking up strikeouts, but tallying 100 pitches by the fourth inning. Peralta and the Brewers are doing it right by working on the command issues first, then making adjustments to be more dominant. In time, his K/9 should rise to around a strikeout per inning.

The Wrap-Up

When I heard that Peralta had found new faith in his slider this offseason it peaked my interest, but not enough to even take a late-round flier on him. Boy was I wrong. Considering the lackluster performances from other youngsters (Salazar comes to mind) and some of the aging veterans in the league, what is there not to like about this guy?

For one, the Brewers offense continues to give him solid run support, scoring no less than four runs in through his first four starts of the season. It is tough to rely on offenses in regards to helping out your win totals, but the Brewers currently hold a run differential of plus-19, averaging 4.25 runs per game. That number is just shy of the five run average Peralta receives each time he takes the mound.

To put the icing on the cake, Peralta has allowed only six walks through 24.2 innings pitched, and is currently posting a career-high 3.17 K/BB, compared to a 1.77 K/BB over a full season of work in 2013. I know the sample size is still in its early stages, but what isn’t to love about the way he is trending up to this point?

Despite his recent success this hefty righty is still not owned in more than half of leagues throughout the major providers (Yahoo!, ESPN, CBS), which is an absolute crime. I know it is only four starts, but this guy is the real deal and should be universally owned in all fantasy formats, outside of leagues under 10 teams, but who plays in that shallow of laegues these days?

Until next time, study hard and eat plenty!