Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

David Peterson might have the most unique and unpredictable role on this year’s New York Mets. On any given day, he could be in the major or minor league rotation, in the bullpen, or in a role that’s not quite so clear. But the left-hander, who recently turned 27, is quietly having the best campaign of his career.

“I know I’m gonna get my number called. I know there’s gonna be a spot for me here and there,” Peterson said. “It may not be scripted like everybody else, but when Buck [Showalter] decides to give me the ball, I need to be ready and I need to be able to produce.”

It was easy to disregard Peterson as almost an afterthought coming into this season. He put up a 5.54 ERA last year before breaking his foot, and then the team went out and got Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt. At that point, he needed to recharge his motors and find a way to pitch himself back into the mix.

Peterson’s last outing for the Mets in 2021 was on June 30, when he gave up six runs to the Braves in a 20-2 beatdown. He was later sent to Florida for rehab on his foot, which he said proved to be a beneficial experience.

“I had a lot of time to myself, and that ended up being a really good thing for me, just being able to debrief on my first season and a half,” Peterson said. “What have I done well; what do I need to improve upon? Going into the offseason, how can I come back this spring training in ‘22 and be the best version of myself yet, be a really good option and a dependable pitcher no matter what my role is for this team?”

His 2022 began with uncertainty and multiple trips back and forth between Queens and Syracuse. He put up a 2.97 ERA through his first seven major league starts of the season, doing so in deceptively silent fashion. He went on to make five starts in June and four more in July, helping out the Mets through their various crop of injury woes.

Near the end of July, with Jacob deGrom, Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco all healthy, opportunities became more sparing for Peterson. He made a couple relief appearances, a role which he may still be utilized in down the stretch. But when unexpected health issues arrived for Carrasco and Taijuan Walker, Peterson was able to quickly step back into a starting role and provide the Mets with a few more quality outings.

“I can’t control what the front office moves are gonna be. I can’t control any of that,” Peterson said. “I can control the way I show up to the field and the way I go about my work and being prepared for the next time I’m given the ball.”

Beyond his versatility and willingness to perform different roles, Peterson’s success has been fueled by his refined stuff. Batters are hitting .178 against his slider with a 47.3% whiff rate, and he’s throwing it 29% of the time compared to 24% last year.

Peterson said his slider usage was around 17% when he was coming up in the low minors. When he got to Double-A, the Mets’ pitching development wanted him to get that number over 25%. He always felt the slider could be a weapon for him, but now he’s throwing it more than he ever has with the most success he’s ever had.

“I’m still using the same grip that I have since high school. I think some of it is just naturally the way my body is, the way my mechanics have changed over time,” Peterson said. “It’s transitioned from this sweeping slider that worked in college to more of a firmer, sharp slider.”

His fastball has seen an uptick in velocity too. Once a heavy sinker ball pitcher, Peterson has now progressed to throwing his four-seam 37.5% of the time. He’s averaging 93.7 mph with the pitch, even topping out at 98. That, along with the refined slider, has helped Peterson produce a plethora of swings and misses. He’s striking out 10.4 batters per nine innings, which ranks 16th in the majors (min. 90 innings).

This is nothing particularly new for Peterson, who said he touched 98 at the University of Oregon. The difference is the preparation that’s allowed him to tap into that extra velocity.

“I feel like I’m in a really good spot with my arm care routine, my preparation between starts, my workout regimen, conditioning, all that stuff,” Peterson said. “I’m not a guy that’s used weighted balls or anything like that. I’ve never chased velocity. But I think some of the things that we’ve done that actually focus a lot on staying healthy and transitioning to being able to be healthy for a 162-game season plus playoffs, I think has put my arm in a spot where I’ve been able to tap into more of the velocity.”

Peterson has been able to bear down in tight situations as well, such as his most recent start against the Nationals when he worked around an error and stranded the bases loaded. With runners in scoring position, he’s held batters to a .177/.247/.282 line.

“I think it’s taking it one pitch at a time. Whether there’s guys on base or not, going one pitch at a time, once you throw a pitch, it’s on to the next one,” Peterson said. “And really use those half innings that I’m in the dugout to debrief what we did and analyze what happened. But I think it’s really just staying in the moment, focusing on the execution of the pitch versus everything that’s going on.”

Peterson credited Jeremy Hefner as someone who’s been an important help ever since he was a rookie and Hefner was a first-year pitching coach. Peterson said Hefner is as mentally prepared as anyone he knows and also understands the analytic side. Led by new manager Buck Showalter, the Mets are playing with more confidence and intelligence than any team Peterson’s been a part of.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to play for Buck. I think he brings a plethora of knowledge and experience with the time that he’s spent as a big league manager,” Peterson said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in baseball that knows the rules or the small little nuances as good as him… It’s come up a couple times in games where the other team’s baffled by an umpire’s decision. Buck knows where it stands in the rulebook.”

Peterson also gets to be in the presence of deGrom and Scherzer every day, something that has rubbed off on him. He said there’s a mindset in the clubhouse of not wanting to be a weak link.

“It’s been fun to really see a lot of different perspectives and ways the guys go about their business,” Peterson said. “As a younger guy, in my first couple years really trying to find what works for me, taking things from Max, taking things from Jake, taking things from whoever it is, and putting my own puzzle together of what makes me the best pitcher I can be.”

About deGrom and Scherzer, he added: “They’re two of the best pitchers, in my mind, of all time. I think when all’s said and done, they’ll both be sitting in Cooperstown together.”

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Beyond being an important piece of the Mets, Peterson is creating a legacy with other University of Oregon alumni playing in the big leagues. A total of nine former Ducks have played in MLB this year. Fellow lefties Tyler Anderson — whom the Mets happened to beat recently — and Cole Irvin are having career years. Peterson has gotten to play with a couple Ducks as well, with Stephen Nogosek and Jake Reed appearing for the Mets this year. Reed’s dramatic save against the Mets in a Dodger uniform prompted conflicting emotions in Peterson, considering the circumstances.

“It was cool for Jake. I know it meant a lot to him,” Peterson said. “Obviously, we would have loved to have won that game and swept them at home. But I was able to talk to him the next day, and you could see how much it meant to him. It’s always nice to remember that when you go home after the game, you still have a life and you’re human, and to see what that meant for him was cool. And yeah, it’s always good to run into those guys along the way.”

Just about everything is going right for Peterson, who became a father in July with his wife Alex to a boy named Callahan. Peterson, now living double duty as a dad and a baseball player, said he allocated his time between family and teammates on his recent birthday.

“Everything kind of takes a back seat during baseball season,” Peterson said. “That’s kind of the way we want it. We’re in a really good spot right now, and it’s fun going to the baseball field every day and being around this group. Being able to spend some time with my wife and son and then spend the afternoon with these guys on my birthday, I couldn’t really ask for much more.”

Now, Peterson will look to perform whenever and however he’s called upon to help this team win its first world championship since 1986. The lefty has settled into the major league life and is excited to play for a team with its sights set on October.

“When you win in New York, there’s nothing better,” Peterson said. “This fanbase is very passionate, and they expect a high standard of baseball, which we expect out of ourselves. It’s been a lot of fun, the way that we’ve played and the way that they have come out and showed their support and backed us. It’s a lot more fun to have teams such as the Dodgers, and the best teams in the league, come into our place and have that home field advantage and have our fans right behind us the whole game for nine innings, and cheering us on and making some noise.”