The New York Mets have not had the season they’d hoped to this point. Sitting at 23-33, the Mets are one of the worst teams in baseball, and New York has pretty much fully embraced the youth movement, which is bad news for current players who are underperforming.
A big underperformer this season has been lefty starter David Peterson. Peterson is a free agent at season’s end, and settled for a one-year, $8.1 million deal in arbitration this winter. He hasn’t helped his free agency case much this season, and now the Mets are being predicted to cut ties with Peterson altogether.
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Mets Predicted to ‘Pull Plug’ on David Peterson
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 29: Pitcher David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets returns to the dugout after being pulled from the game the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on April 29, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Heather Khalifa/Getty Images)
Per a recent article for FanSided.com, MLB writer Zachary Rotman believes it’s time to let go of David Peterson:
“The lefty struggled mightily down the stretch last season, and he’s been just as bad, if not worse, so far this year. The southpaw has a 5.57 ERA through 12 appearances (seven starts) in 2026, and he’s been even worse as a starter (7.56 ERA in seven appearances). He allowed six runs on 11 hits in five innings his last time out against a light-hitting Reds team. He’s struggling to the point where the reeling Mets must make a change.”
David Peterson was an All-Star for the first time in his seven MLB seasons in 2025, but finished the campaign with a 4.22 ERA across 168.2 innings, and was one of the main reasons down the stretch last season that the Mets collapsed in August and September. He’s spent his entire career with the Mets, so there’s some loyalty factor, but the experiment with David Peterson as a starter has to conclude soon.
Recently, the Mets have tried to use an opener in front of Peterson, so he doesn’t have to face the top of opposing teams’ lineups as much, but even that hasn’t worked. In his last 14 innings of work, Peterson has allowed nine earned runs.
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David Peterson’s MLB Career
GettyDavid Peterson #23 of the New York Mets walks off the mound after the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on May 26, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
As noted, David Peterson has pitched seven seasons in Major League Baseball.
He carries a career pitching record of 40-35 over 143 games pitched and 122 starts. His ERA sits at 4.23 across 676 innings.
He debuted with the Mets in 2020. His best season as a professional came in 2024 when he posted a 2.90 ERA over 121 innings and 20+ starts.
The interesting thing for Peterson is that his underlying 2026 numbers indicate that there should be some positive regression coming soon. His Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) this season sits at 3.03, which is a huge discrepancy from his ERA of 5.57.
Mets fans, what would you do with the struggling Peterson?
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New York Mets Predicted to ‘Pull the Plug’ on $8.1 Million All-Star Amid Struggles