David Peterson made his first start since May 26 on Sunday against the Phillies. With a majority of the Mets’ rotation struggling or injured, the southpaw stepping up would have gone a long way. Especially in a rubber game against a division rival. Instead, it was more of the same for Peterson and the Mets. They fell behind early and could not recover, losing 6-2 to drop another series and fall nine games below .500.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The first inning set the tone for Peterson. He opened the game by walking Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. The Phillies took advantage of that, scoring two runs on two hits and an error to jump out to a 2-0 lead. After the Mets wasted a scoring chance in the top of the second, the Phillies added on. Bryson Stott and Turner each hit singles, sending Schwarber to the plate with two on and one out. He turned on an inside sinker, crushing a three-run home run to right field, making it 5-0 before the end of the second.
Peterson threw two clean innings to end his outing, but the damage was already done. He threw four innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks, raising his ERA from 5.91 to 6.09. “I wasn’t very pleased with walking the first two guys. After that, made an adjustment. The way that I finished, I felt like myself,” Peterson said postgame.
The first half of the 2025 season was his best stretch as a big leaguer. He deserved to be an All-Star. But since then, he has failed to replicate that form. One of the most startling signs for Peterson this season? His -2 run value on his sinker, his best pitch in 2025, posted a +5 run value. In 2026, he owns a -12 pitching run value per Baseball Savant, in the fifth percentile. In 2025, he owned a +6 pitching run value, good for the 64th percentile.
As a starter this season, Peterson is 1-6 with a 7.71 ERA over 37 1/3 innings. As a reliever, he is 2-0 with a 4.11 ERA over 30 2/3 innings. Much better results. The problem is, the Mets do not have enough arms to use multiple starters in long relief.
Sean Manaea has done well since being reinserted into the rotation, but they need more help. Peterson and Kodai Senga need to step up; Freddy Peralta has to provide more as the ace. The Mets’ lineup has shown signs of life, and the bullpen has been solid for the last few months. But that will not matter if the rotation cannot provide length. For the year, the rotation owns a 4.74 ERA, the fourth-worst mark in baseball. The rotation has also pitched the fifth-fewest innings in baseball — teams that have thrown fewer innings include the Blue Jays, Rockies, Nationals and White Sox. Without improvement in these areas, a second-half turnaround seems impossible.
