David Peterson was a pitcher the New York Mets had trust in as their only left-hander in the rotation. After being named to his first All-Star Game last season, he fell apart in the second half of the season, mirroring the Mets’ late struggles. The team was hoping he would bounce back in 2026, along with some other starters. Sadly, after April, it seemed it would be another down year for Peterson.
His month of April was awful, finishing it with a 0-4 record and an ERA of 6.53. May would come around, and the Mets made a tough decision on Peterson, shifting him into a long relief role. He took on the role, and he has done one heck of a job with it.
David Peterson Bounces Back and Has a Great May
Peterson has taken advantage of his new role and really turned it around. In four games, he has a 3-0 record and a 2.50 ERA, and he has not allowed a homer in 18 innings. One of those appearances was a start, in which he threw for five innings and only allowed one earned run. He did struggle early in that game, walking the bases loaded in the first inning after getting the first two batters out, before ultimately getting out of it unscathed. He would settle down after that and finish a solid day, earning the decision as well in a 2-1 Mets victory.
David Peterson strikes out Daylen Lile to end the first after walking the bases loaded pic.twitter.com/3jUfpFTdwk
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 21, 2026
Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story For Peterson
Now, the numbers for the year still don’t seem pretty, thanks to that awful April, but if Peterson can rebound off his solid May, maybe he can show that All-Star nod wasn’t a fluke. In his four appearances in May, he has given up just two or fewer earned runs each time. He needs to continue this hot streak going into June.
David Peterson says he feels like he’s back to his 2025 first half self
“I feel like I’ve been there for a few outings now. Good to get the start today. Continue to build off of it, work on what we need to work on and move forward” pic.twitter.com/NYCVTOrh0m
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 21, 2026
Should He Stay On as a Reliever?
In five appearances as a bulk reliever, Peterson is 2-0 and has an ERA of 2.25 in 20 innings. As a starter, he is 1-4, with a 6.99 ERA. It will be interesting to see whether the Mets keep him as a reliever with the success it brought, or if they swap him back into the rotation. With his recent appearance being a start, one has to assume they are inching him back toward the rotation again. However, will it be a good idea to stop something so successful? Only time will tell what they decide to do.
What Do the Mets Do With a Player Like David Peterson?
With how inconsistent Peterson can be at times, it will be intriguing to see what the Mets will do after this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. You have to wonder whether the Mets will look to bring him back or let a guy like him walk.
The point where Peterson started to pay off as a starter was 2024, when he went 10-3 with a 2.90 ERA over 21 starts. If he can somehow show the Mets he has some of that left in him, maybe they will look to bring him back. They will need Peterson to continue to be efficient all year long if they are going to make any type of run at the postseason.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
