Freddy and Luis, a Rockies relief pitcher, meet in the Major League

Freddy Peralta, already the most exuberant player on the Milwaukee Brewers roster, nearly bounced off the walls at American Family Field on Friday afternoon, and his beaming smile only grew wider.

The reason? His younger brother Luis is in town this weekend – as a member of the Colorado Rockies bullpen.

The left-hander, who made his first major league appearance on Aug. 24, rode scooters side by side with his right-handed older brother as the two cruised through the ballpark's service level before their teams' series opener.

After Friday's game, there will be a family reunion with the Peraltas' parents at Freddy's house.

But first it was necessary to compete between the lines.

The two teams are in completely different positions; the Brewers' magic number to win the Central Division title is 12, and the Rockies are 32 1/2 games behind in the National League West. But that won't affect the Peraltas, who are finally fulfilling the dream of competing against each other in the major leagues.

“For years,” Freddy said when we asked him how long he had been dreaming of this scenario. “I didn't expect all this (so soon), that he would be here and that we would be playing together.”

“It is a gift from God.”

Freddy's story is well known – the right-hander is a former All-Star, one of the NL's best strikeout artists in recent seasons and currently atop the Brewers' revamped rotation. He emerged as a 22-year-old prospect on Mother's Day 2018 with 13 strikeouts in a win over the Rockies at Coors Field.

Luis, 23, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 2017 and made it to the Class AA level in the minor leagues before being traded to the Rockies on July 29 in exchange for reliever Jalen Beeks.

Before his debut at Yankee Stadium, he made a total of six appearances at two levels in Colorado's minor league system and goes into the series in Milwaukee with 5 ⅓ shutout innings under his belt.

Luis throws a four-seam fastball that averages 94.9 miles per hour and a curveball, a primarily two-pitch arsenal that sounds very similar to the one Freddy used to attack hitters in his early years with the Brewers.

When asked how Luis compares to Freddy at the same age, Freddy answered emphatically.

“He's got better stuff than I do. A lot better,” he said. “He's got the fastball, which he can use in a variety of ways, a very good fastball. He's got the slider, which is kind of like a curveball, and he's got the cutter. He's got a changeup, but he doesn't throw it often. I don't know why, but it's there, too.

“He's got better stuff than I did when I came up. It's totally different. (I was) fastball and curveball. That's all.

“He throws harder too. Don't say that too loudly.”

When Luis heard his brother's comments, he smiled.

“I'm very happy to hear that,” he said. “I thank God for this opportunity and I thank him every day because I train with him in the offseason. He supports me and gives me a lot of advice and I take it to heart.”

“It’s something very special to me.”

Freddy provided some background on Luis' rise to the Major Leagues.

“He was an outfielder before he was a pitcher,” he said. “He was a good hitter, he had power and all that. Someone told him he'd have a better chance as a pitcher, and I thought that too, but I didn't want to get into it because I wanted him to feel comfortable in everything he did.”

“He switched to pitcher, and people were right.”

Luis cited Freddy’s support as an important reason for his development.

“Luckily, as a young boy, I always had the ability to throw the ball well and be a good pitcher,” he said. “I listen to any advice he gives me. He's my older brother.

“Every time he speaks, I listen.”

The Peraltas' father, Pedro, will be in the stands all weekend with their mother, Octavia Diaz. Pedro, who was a bit torn, opted to wear a Rockies cap and Brewers jersey to properly support his two sons.

While it was obviously unclear before the series began if and when Luis would pitch, both brothers were asked specifically about Sunday, when Freddy will start for the Brewers and a relief appearance by Luis for the Rockies could make for a fairytale moment, game permitting.

“It'll be fun when that happens, but you never know,” said Freddy, who mentioned he might be more nervous if Luis pitches on Friday or Saturday. Freddy usually retreats to the locker room and watches the game on TV.

“No matter what happens, it will be exciting. It's a gift. It's exciting. We're just proud.”

Luis added: “That would probably be the best experience I've ever had. I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully it happens.”

Freddy and Luis, a Rockies relief pitcher, meet in the Major League

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