David Peterson Needs a Big Start

We are weeks away from Noah Syndergaard and Carlos Carrasco being able to rejoin the rotation. Of course, that’s not set in stone especially with Carrasco having a setback.

When they return, someone has to come out of the Mets rotation. Right now, David Peterson hasn’t given the Mets a reason why it shouldn’t be him.

Through six starts, he’s 1-3 with a 5.54 ERA, 1.385 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9, and an 11.1 K/9. His advanced stats aren’t great either with his having a -0.6 WAR, 69 ERA+, and a 4.64 FIP.

Peterson’s StatCast numbers are even uglier. Peterson isn’t throwing with a high rate of spin, and he doesn’t show great velocity. Worse yet, his control isn’t great. The end result is Peterson getting hit hard. Very hard.

We see that play out in his starts. In half of those starts, he hasn’t been able to get into the fifth. In five of his starts, he’s walked 2+ batters.

Now, that’s not to say he’s been all bad. His 10 strikeout performance was a real glimpse into what he could be. He had another strong start against the Boston Red Sox.

Mostly, what’s missing with Peterson is consistency. To a certain extent, this is an indication of how Peterson was rushed to the majors. There’s talent, real talent, but he’s not ready.

That’s at least the conclusion Peterson forces us to come to with his performances. With his lack of consistency, his control problems, and his getting hit hard, it increasingly seems like he belongs in Syracuse.

That’s at least where he’s at now. He still has time and a few starts to prove otherwise. We’ve seen flashes. He now needs to show dependability.