David Peterson

New York Mets: Peterson Pitches Well, Bullpen Not So Much in 7-3 Loss

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New York Mets, David Peterson

The New York Mets have some questions behind their quartet of top-tier relievers, and Robert Gsellman and Stephen Tarpley continued to heighten the need for reliable middle relievers. After a scoreless seventh inning, the Washington Nationals roughed up Gsellman in the eighth inning.

Josh Bell‘s majestic opposite solo home run tied the game at three and almost cleared the scoreboard. Gerardo Parra put the Nats in the lead with an RBI single giving them a 4-3 lead. They added a two-run homer from Luis Garcia and RBI single from Adrian Sanchez to complete the 7-3 victory.

David Peterson was in line for the win before the blown save from Gsellman. Peterson pitched six solid innings with four hits and two runs allowed. The Nats did a bulk of their damage during the fourth inning, with three hits and two runs in their top half. Singles from Josh Harrison and Hernan Perez were the only damage against the slender lefty. Peterson only struck out two but was very effective in the outing. He did not allow a hit for the first half of his start.

Manager Luis Rojas hopes to have a second lefty in the bullpen, but Tarpley squandered one of his final opportunities to make the roster. Tarpley allowed four hits and three runs, including the Garcia homer, and only retired one batter. Due to their rough outings, Gsellman and Tarpley made their route to the Opening Day roster bumpier. Tylor Megill came in and prevented more runs from being charged to Tarpley’s ledger in the ninth.

The Mets offense recorded 12 hits but only pushed 3 runs across. James McCann‘s RBI single provided the first run during the second inning. The other two runs came in the sixth when Dominic Smith lucked into an RBI triple on a dribbler that Bell misplayed at first base and J.D. Davis lined an RBI single over a drawn-in infield. McCann and Francisco Lindor were the two Mets with multiple hits on the night.

On Saturday, the Mets play another home game when the Houston Astros visit Clover Park. Bryan Abreu (1-0, 3.68 ERA) takes the mound against opener Jacob Barnes (0-1, 5.40 ERA). Barnes opens up for Joey Lucchesi for the 1:10 p.m. ET start on SNY.

 

Battle for the New York Mets’ fifth starter job is not over

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New York Mets, David Peterson

The New York Mets boast enviable pitching depth after going to the market and acquiring Taijuan Walker, one of the few reliable starters available, a few weeks ago. The popular belief is that the first four members of the rotation are set, with Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco (provided he can make it in time as he tries to shake off some elbow soreness) and Walker expected to take the ball in the team’s first four games.

The fifth spot of the Mets’ rotation, however, is still up for grabs. David Peterson had a so-so outing on Sunday, in which he allowed three runs on five hits in four innings, and coupled with Jordan Yamamoto’s impressive spring (1.08 ERA in three outings), it makes the race even more interesting. Joey Lucchesi (two shutout innings) is fighting, too.

“There’s plenty to take away from today,” Peterson told reporters over Zoom. “Plenty to work on going forward and looking forward to the next start.”

“Some hard hit balls against him, On and off with his command,” New York Mets’ manager Luis Rojas said after the game. “But he’s working on stuff, you could see that he got some swing and misses on his changeup, from his slider, the fastball velocity is the one that we like seeing. … Stuff is there, I thought location wise was where he just didn’t execute at times.”

Peterson impressed for the Mets’ last season

The left-hander raised a few eyebrows last season, as he put a 3.44 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 49.2 innings as a rookie.

Yamamoto was impressive on Saturday, allowing a run in 3 1/3 innings against the Washington Nationals.

“I’m just having conviction,” Yamamoto said. “That’s the main thing that we were working on that we’ve been talking about, just conviction with all my pitches, being able to throw it in any count, just getting ahead of hitters and making them get in swing mode. Everything and anything that makes me who I am is what I did tonight.”

Who will win the battle for a spot within the Mets’ rotation?

Guillorme’s 22-Pitch Walk Highlights Mets 7-5 Win Over Cardinals

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The New York Mets had plenty of fun during their 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Luis Guillorme was responsible for one of the greatest at-bats in spring training history. After falling behind 0-2, Guillorme battled 20 more pitches to draw a walk off flamethrowing Jordan Hicks. His walk was the epitome of the Mets’ success at the plate as it started a five-run fifth inning.

Michael Conforto led the way with a 3-for-3 game and two RBIs. One of his RBI singles came in the first, along with another from Dominic Smith. After Guillorme’s epic walk in the fifth, it immediately spelled the end for Hicks. Garrett Williams came in and loaded the bases after drilling Caleb Joseph and Brandon Nimmo.

Francisco Lindor walked to drive in the first run, then Conforto recorded his second RBI single to tie the game at four. Pete Alonso‘s two-run single put the Mets ahead 6-4 and J.D. Davis grounded into a double play for the final run of the inning. The entire inning was a preview of how dangerous the Mets offense can be.

David Peterson started for the Mets and had what he would consider an average start. He allowed two first inning on a Jose Rondon single but settled in for the final three innings. Rondon also got to him again for a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Peterson allowed three runs and five hits over his four-inning outing.

Corey Oswalt impressed out of the bullpen and struck out five of the six batters he faced. It was his first outing of the spring as he tries to work himself back on to the 40-man roster. Arodys Vizcaino also hurled a scoreless inning in his first appearance of the spring.

The Mets get Monday off before they face the Houston Astros again. Jacob deGrom (1-0, 0.00) gets the opportunity to torture their hitters again, but this time it will be in Port St. Lucie. The first pitch from Clover Park is at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Alonso’s Grand Slam Propels New York Mets to an 8-4 Victory

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New York Mets, Luis Rojas

For the second straight game, the New York Mets came out swinging and had the pitching to back it up. They used three home runs and seven two-out RBIs to defeat the Washington Nationals 8-4.

Brandon Nimmo got the Mets started early with a leadoff home run to give them a quick 1-0 lead against Jackson Rutledge. After three quiet innings, the fifth was loaded with action. Dellin Betances made his Spring debut and became the only reliever to allow runs.

After getting the first two outs of the inning, Betances issued two walks, and an RBI double on a fly ball that left fielder Drew Ferguson misplayed. Ryan Zimmerman capped off the inning with a three-run homer, giving the Nats a 4-1 lead. The only positive of his outing is his velocity in the 92-93 range, which is far better than last year’s spring training.

In the bottom half of the fifth, Pete Alonso‘s grand slam put the Mets back and forth 5-4. It was a classic Alonso homer as he drove it onto the right-center field hill. Alonso did not homer in 13 spring training games in 2020 and already looks more relaxed at the plate. Jake Hager supplied the third homer on the day with a solo shot in the seventh.

Pitching Success

David Peterson was solid in his first start of the spring as he tries to earn a spot in the starting rotation. In two innings, he allowed just one hit, a hit batter and worked out of a second and third jam in the first inning. Peterson finished off his start with a 1-2-3 inning in the second.

After Peterson left the game, the Mets used many relievers who are expected to make the Opening Day roster. Jeurys Familia struggled with his command and needed 31 pitches to get through his scoreless inning. Aaron Loup was the complete opposite, needing just 11 pitches to work through a scoreless fourth inning.

Trevor May, Robert Gsellman, Stephen Tarpley, and Sean Reid-Foley all put up goose eggs in their respective innings. Mets pitchers collectively only recorded two strikeouts on the day. The Mets have a day off on Friday and send Jacob deGrom to the mound on Saturday night against the Houston Astros. Due to MLB’s incompetence, the game will not be televised.

New York Mets: David Peterson Ready For Starting Pitching Competition

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New York Mets, David Peterson

David Peterson was the second-best starting pitcher for the 2020 New York Mets, but he will need to earn his spot in the 2021 rotation. The additions of Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, and a returning Marcus Stroman pushes Peterson to the fifth spot.

He will compete with fellow left-hander Joey Lucchesi and former Miami Marlin Jordan Yamamoto. Peterson may deserve the fifth starter job, but he welcomes the challenge from Manager Luis Rojas.

“I want to come in here and do my thing and let the rest take care of itself,” Peterson said during Saturday’s Zoom call. “However I can help the team win, that’s what I’m here to do.” Spoken like a true competitor, Peterson does not want something handed to him when he still has more to prove.

Peterson had a 3.44 ERA in 10 games (9 starts) last season, which was far more productive than his competition. Despite the small sample size success, the Mets have seen the same story before. In 2016, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo burst on the scene when the Mets needed pitching. Both had ERAs under 3.00, but Gsellman regressed to 5.03 while Lugo stayed solid at 3.61 over the next four seasons.

Innings Limit

No matter how well Peterson pitches, he may end up starting the season in the bullpen. Peterson has never thrown more than 128 innings in a minor league season, and the Mets aim to limit his innings jump. Starting his season as a reliever will allow the Mets to do so without shutting him down towards September and October.

The Mets could also use a six-man rotation when Noah Syndergaard returns. They’ll kill two birds with one stone by conserving innings for both Syndergaard and Peterson. It will also allow Peterson to keep the same role for the entire season and presumably move to the bullpen once the postseason starts. Whether in the rotation or bullpen, Peterson will have a huge role on the 2021 roster. He will be one of two left-handed pitchers and the only one who can pitch multiple innings.

New York Mets: Weighing the Possibility of a Six-Man Rotation

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yankees, New York Mets, Luis Rojas

Depth was the top priority during the New York Mets offseason, and it shows the most with their rotation options. With the new depth, they consider using six starting pitchers with Taijuan Walker joining the rotation.

We know the top three starters are Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, and Marcus Stroman, with Walker as the fourth. David Peterson has the upper hand on Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto going into camp, but all three are fighting for the last rotation spot.

The Mets might look to conserve Peterson’s innings because he only has two seasons over 100 in the minors with a career-high of 128. Around baseball, teams are considering the extra starter because of the shortened 2020 season. Pitchers will get extra rest without making shorter starts, and it lessens the innings jump from last season.

All five Mets starters were healthy in 2020 and are amongst the fittest in the sport. Despite the great physiques, the Mets expect to play deep into October. A long playoff run requires pitchers to log 20-40 high-leverage innings. Pitchers like Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and Max Scherzer saw these innings’ taxing effect the following year. If Lucchesi or Yamamoto pitches well in spring training, the Mets should not be afraid to tack on another starter.

Syndergaard’s Return 

If the Mets have a six-man rotation to being the season, Syndergaard would slide right in and conserve innings for the rest of the rotation. With a five-man rotation, he would tack on and potentially save the Mets from holding Peterson back in September. The one drawback is the one less arm in the bullpen, but a strong rotation solves any bullpen issues.

In October, the Mets would love a rotation of deGrom, Carrasco, Stroman, and Syndergaard. Allowing Syndergaard to save his innings early in the season will allow him to avoid injury and stay fresh for a playoff run.

Despite missing out on an expensive free agent, the Mets finally have starting pitching depth with respectable MLB track records. This accolade alone deserves an A grade for the offseason.

 

New York Mets Player Evaluations: Pitcher David Peterson

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New York Mets, David Peterson

The New York Mets desperately needed starting rotation depth early in the season, and they turned to rookie left-hander David Peterson. He stepped into the role and became the second most consistent pitcher behind Jacob deGrom in the starting rotation. Though Peterson did not get any Rookie of the Year votes, he still had a very productive first season.

Despite Peterson not having swing and miss stuff, he still had plenty of weapons to be a successful pitcher. Peterson only had one start where he allowed more than three runs and opposing hitters only batted .202 against him. Left-handed hitters were useless against Peterson; they batted just .161 and had a .226 slugging percentage.

Two things for Peterson to improve upon are his walks and working deeper into the game. He averaged just under five walks per nine innings, partly due to his inability to pinpoint his fastball. Peterson also needed to work outside the zone for success, which in part leads to more balls thrown.

Peterson only threw six innings in one of his first five starts but found consistent success in his final three. Over his final three starts, Peterson only allowed four runs in 18 innings while striking out 16. This included a 10 strikeout outing against the Atlanta Braves.

Trust the 1 and 2

Peterson’s fastball and slider were undoubtedly his best two pitches. Opposing hitters batted .164 and .119 against them, respectively. Peterson threw his fastball/slider 63.3% of the time, and that is a number that could increase as he learns to command them better. Peterson’s changeup and sinker hurt him the most despite throwing them only 18.7% and 15.8% of the time. Those were the only two pitches where batters hit over .300 against Peterson.

From a statistical standpoint, the biggest improvement should come on the amount of hard contact he allows. 31.2% of balls in play had hard contact, compared to just 11.6% of soft contact against him. That is one reason why his FIP is at 4.52 instead of closer to his season ERA.

Overall, Peterson was tremendous for a rookie who had never pitched above AA. He is only getting better, and he has all the tools to be a consistent, quality pitcher in the big leagues. Peterson was 6-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 49.2 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts. He currently slots as a 4-5 starter in the 2021 Mets rotation.

2020 Grades On 20-80 Scale (2021 Projection)

4-Seam Fastball: 65 (60), Only averaged 92 mph but was a tough pitch for hitters to square up.

Slider: 75 (70), Undoubtedly, his putaway pitch had a 37.1 whiff rate. Look to see him use it more against lefties in 2021.

Changeup: 35 (45), If Peterson can command it better, this has real potential. Just too many were left up in the zone, which resulted in a .556 slugging percentage against it.

Sinker: 30 (30), This might be a pitch Peterson moves away from in 2021 since he has so much success with his 4-seam fastball. Peterson typically threw it to right-handed hitters, and they knew it would only be away.

Curveball: 40 (45), He only threw 18 of them on the season, but it should be a pitch he mixes in more than the sinker.

Command: 40 (50), As Peterson continues to pitch in the big leagues, he will get better with his control. Throwing more pitches, he has confidence in will help that.

Overall: 55 (60), It was a good rookie season for Peterson, and he likely replaces Steven Matz as the lefty in the rotation.

 

 

New York Mets: David Peterson is now expected to be a fixture in the rotation for years to come

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New York Mets, David Peterson

The New York Mets clearly had some issues with their starting rotation. Of the six men that were supposed to start the season, only one of them didn’t have any injury issues: Rick Porcello. The other five had to miss some time or were affected by different ailments to some degree.

Jacob deGrom had to depart a start after two innings with a hamstring issue, Michael Wacha suffered shoulder inflammation, Noah Syndergaard didn’t even make a pitch because he underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring, Steven Matz also had some shoulder problems, and Marcus Stroman suffered a calf strain and later opted out of the season.

Only deGrom and Matz are under contract for next season. Syndergaard is, as well, but won’t be an option for the New York Mets for the first couple of months, maybe even around the All-Star break of 2021, while he recovers from the elbow surgery.

Thankfully (well, hopefully), the Mets will have a third healthy arm slotted in for next season, as rookie left-hander David Peterson impressed in 2020. While he also had to miss some time because of shoulder inflammation, he was good and consistent in most of his starts, and proved that he is ready to handle major league pitching.

“I love to compete,” Peterson recently said to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else, that I belong up here.”

A successful season for the Mets’ rookie

For the season, Peterson had a solid 3.44 ERA and a 4.52 FIP in 49.2 innings. He had some issues with walks (4.35 BB/9) but showed that he can navigate through a lineup by using a low 90s fastball, a good slider and a developing changeup.

“David Peterson’s an excellent pitcher. The stuff that he has and what he’s been able to do this year has proven he’s a big leaguer,” closer Edwin Diaz said.

Another voice that came out impressed with Peterson is catcher Robinson Chirinos. “He’s getting better and better,” Chirinos said. “The first time I caught him, his stuff was good, but it was not consistent. … After that, he started getting more [over] the plate with his stuff. And his stuff is really good.”

In a year in which the Mets do not appear to have too many names in their starting rotation, they are counting on Peterson to produce the same kind of performance he had this year in 2021.

New York Mets: The Peterson/Chirinos Battery Lead Mets To 3-2 Win

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New York Mets, David Peterson

Who would have thought the combination of David Peterson and Robinson Chirinos would team up with the 2020 season started? Both guys took different paths to the New York Mets roster but made the difference in their 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals. The win kept their small playoff hopes still alive as they sit 2.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants for the final playoff spot.

While Peterson did not strike out batters at the same rate as his last start, he was still very effective. In his final start of the season, he held the Nationals to one run over seven innings and struck out four. Peterson used his slider to put away the Nats hitters and make the longest start of his career. He will finish the season with a very impressive 3.44 ERA, very deserving of a spot in next year’s rotation.

Rob and Dom Show

While the Mets only pushed across three runs on the night but they made them count. Chirinos drove in all three with a hustle single and a two-run home run. All of his RBI came off Patrick Corbin, and the home run was his first of the season.

Dominic Smith continued his hot hitting with three more hits, including two more double to up his season total to 21. It broke the Mets record for the most doubles through a 60 game stretch, and he still has three more games to add to that total. Robinson Cano also added two hits, including his first bunt single since 2013.

Edwin Diaz picked up his sixth save of the season after allowing one run in the ninth inning. He bent but did not break as he worked around two hits in the ninth to shut the door.

Rick Porcello faces off against former teammate Max Scherzer for the second game of the series on Friday. It is another 6:05 p.m. ET start from Nationals Park.

New York Mets: Peterson’s 10 Strikeouts Highlight 7-2 Win

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New York Mets, David Peterson

After getting three straight starters lasted no more than two innings, David Peterson had the tall task of stopping the slump the New York Mets starting rotation are in. Peterson went far and above the call of duty striking out a career-high 10 Atlanta Braves in the Mets 7-2 victory.

Peterson lived up to his top prospect status in this big start. He held the Braves to one run over the six innings he pitched. His slider was one of the major reasons his strikeouts were up, and it was impressive to see him shut down a lineup that scored 15 runs the previous night.

In the seventh and eighth, Miguel Castro, Jeurys Familia, and Justin Wilson combined to keep the lead into the bottom of the eighth. It allowed them to add some insurance runs late in the game.

Patience is Key

Braves starter Ian Anderson held hitters to a .130 average but allowed ten walks over 21 innings. They paid close attention to their scouting report, drawing three straight walks to begin the bottom of the first. Robinson Cano got the Mets on the board with a two-run single to the opposite field to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead.

The only other run the Mets got off Anderson was an RBI single from Robinson Chirinos in the fourth inning. Depsite Anderson struggles, Atlanta’s bullpen held the Mets silent until Chris Martin entered in the eighth. He allowed back to back home runs to Dominic Smith and Robinson Cano to being the inning. Brandon Nimmo finished it off with a two-run single to extend the Mets lead to 7-2.

It was a win the Mets needed, as all of the games have become must-win games. The rubber game of the series comes down to Kyle Wright and Rick Porcello. The first pitch is at 1:10 p.m. ET from Citi Field.