Thursday was big for the Mets and especially David Peterson.
After the Mets removed Peterson from the rotation — having him pitch as a bulk reliever behind an opener — the southpaw was pegged to start Thursday’s series finale against the Nationals. The decision was made partly because Peterson has pitched better of late as a reliever, and the Mets, in the midst of playing 16 straight games, needed length from a starter and the left-handed heavy Nationals lineup was an ideal landing spot to give Peterson his first start in almost a month.
And Peterson rewarded the Mets with arguably his best start of the season.
Peterson allowed just one run on four hits and three walks while striking out three across five innings. The combination of Peterson and four relievers led the Mets to a 2-1 win. It was Peterson’s first win as a starter since Sept. 5, 2025.
“I thought he was good. That first inning, he lost the zone a little there. Got a little quick with his tempo but settled in nicely and gave us what we needed,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the win. ” He’s a good pitcher. That’s why he starts. Went through struggles and we believe in him. Now it’s time for him to continue to do that and he will. He’s a big part of this team and we’ll continue to use him.”
Thursday’s start wasn’t all great, as Mendoza mentioned. In the first, Peterson loaded the bases with three straight two-out walks, but got out of the jam by striking out Daylen Lile. He escaped another jam in the fifth, allowing just one run after Washington had runners on second and third and no outs.
“Felt I was a little quick. Just tried to settle in and slow myself down my motion,” Peterson said. “Get ahead on the first pitch and go from there… We were on the attack, just tried to fill up the zone and stay on the attack, be aggressive all day.”
Entering Thursday’s start, Peterson was much more effective as a reliever, pitching to a 2.25 ERA and allowing only four earned runs over his last three appearances (13.0 IP). In his five previous starts this season, Peterson is 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA across 18.0 innings pitched.
With the Mets dealing with injuries and inconsistencies, if Peterson can find his 2025 self (the first half, at least) the rotation would be in much better shape as New York looks to absorb the loss of Clay Holmes.
Peterson pitched to a 6-4 record and a 3.06 ERA in the first half of last season, en route to his first All-Star Game selection. However, his second-half performance was one reason the Mets faltered down the stretch and missed the postseason. Mendoza was asked what it would mean if Peterson returned to that form, and the skipper gushed over the idea.
“A lot. We saw it; he was an All-Star last year. A big part of the success we had last season,” Mendoza said. “If he can be that guy, it’ll help us get us to the next level and he’s more than capable of doing that.”
“Felt like I’ve been that for a couple of outings now,” Peterson said when asked if he feels like his 2025 first-half self. “Good to get the start. Continue to build off of it, look at what we need to work on and move forward.”
The 30-year-old says he’s confident that he can recapture those performances because he’s done it before and knows what he’s capable of.
“Trust in my teammates, my catchers and continue to be aggressive and throw a lot of strikes,” he said.
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