The Cleveland Indians shortstop had laser eye surgery in the offseason. While his clear vision has helped his entire game, he said it's really made a difference at the plate, where he can now pick up breaking balls.
"I didn't see the breaking ball pitch too well," he said. "I tried to use contacts, and they helped a lot. But the contacts bothered me when I put them in my eyes."
Peralta had surgery on both of his eyes in January, and said he noticed a difference the first time he picked up a bat.
"I see everything real clear," he said, smiling.
His numbers in the postseason have been nothing short of dazzling. He's hitting .406 with two homers and nine RBIs, and is a large part of the reason Cleveland had a 3-1 lead over the Boston Red Sox entering Game 5 of the AL championship series on Thursday night.
Peralta said his improved eyesight - he now has 20-20 vision - also has helped him defensively because he can see catcher Victor Martinez's signs.
"There are so many other things he's done and he's worked on," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "But I am smart enough to say that if you can see the ball a little bit better, it's probably going to help you. So I'm sure that's at least a small part of it."
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