On Thursday, the Mets looked to secure a series victory over the Marlins after splitting the first two contests. Consequently, they called upon left-handed pitcher David Peterson to pitch in this game as they looked to continue their recent trend of solid performances from their starters.

With that in mind, Peterson stepped up in a meaningful way.

He planted the seeds for his dominant performance in the first inning, when he accumulated two strikeouts while retiring the side consecutively.

Strikeouts came easily for Peterson on Thursday, as his arsenal was highly effective in missing barrels. In fact, he used his sinker 45 times out of his 113 pitches and generated 15 called strikes and four whiffs. This CSW% of 42 percent shows that Peterson’s sinker was at its best and that the increased usage warranted outstanding results. While his other pitches were not nearly as effective, he could rely on his primary pitch to get through this outing.

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This trend continued for several frames until he reached a little trouble in the fifth inning. After allowing a walk to Xavier Edwards to load the bases with two outs, he escaped the jam when Jon Berti hit into a fielder’s choice. Peterson’s poise was tested during this inning, and seeing him stick to his guns and persevere through the turmoil was encouraging.

Peterson emphatically ended off his stellar start by striking out Xavier Edwards in the seventh inning and was replaced by Grant Hartwig to begin the next frame.

Final line: 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 8K, 113 pitches

This dominant performance provides Peterson with a favorable end to his 2023 campaign. While his 5.03 ERA does not reflect excellence, that figure does not tell the whole story. Before his demotion in May, Peterson tallied a disastrous 8.08 ERA in eight starts. However, since his return to the Mets in June, Peterson has accumulated a 3.38 ERA in 19 games, including starts and relief appearances.

That said, Peterson has solidified himself in the conversation for 2024 rotation options. While he has gained traction in the conversation, a spot is not guaranteed by any means. As it stands right now, the Mets could go in a number of other directions for the rotation next season. They could opt to develop their plethora of upper-minor arms by allotting a few spots for them, or they could bring in help from the outside by signing some marquee-free agents. They also have seen impressive second-half surges from arms such as Joey Lucchesi and José Butto, who also have every right to be included in these considerations.

All things considered, Peterson’s recent play is a step in the right direction for him to elongate his Mets’ career. If he can continue this momentum into spring training, it would be hard for the Mets to deny that the former first round selection is deserving of a spot.