Mets Relying on Peterson to Anchor Rotation
The Mets, to put it mildly, have question marks in the rotation. Kodai Senga is coming off a year lost to injury. Clay Holmes is in a new role. Griffin Canning led the American League in earned runs allowed last season. Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are injured.
So, the hope is that David Peterson will be a steady presence in the midst of all the uncertainty. If spring training is any indication, so far, so good. He has looked excellent in 15.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) and seven hits, striking out 12 and walking seven. A 0.57 ERA will more than do.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
“It was good to get the five ups, get the pitch count up and felt like we were able to work everything and see what we wanted to,” the 29-year-old lefty said after hurling five scoreless frames Wednesday in an 8-2 victory over the Astros before 5,209 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
“I thought it was good,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “I thought it was a night where they were pretty aggressive, especially on first pitches. They came out hacking and he kept making pitches, he kept attacking. The times he got in trouble, you know there was a couple of walks, he kept making pitches. Good day overall for him.”
Peterson was a question mark last year at this time, missing spring training as he worked his way back from a hip injury that ended his 2023 season.
“… Having an offseason where I was able to get all my strength back and feel like I was 100 percent coming into camp was awesome and it’s been good to have a normal spring again,” he said.
Peterson will look to build on a breakout 2024. In 21 starts, he went 10-3 with a career-best 2.90 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He had 101 strikeouts against 46 walks in 121 innings pitched. In the playoffs, he earned a save against the Brewers and a win vs. the Phillies before getting roughed up by the Dodgers.
“Just trying to build off the good stuff mechanically that I had last year and get the pitches where I want to,” he said.
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