NY Mets: Building the perfect yet realistic starting rotation for 2021

Jacob deGrom, New York Mets (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Jacob deGrom, New York Mets (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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Sep 19, 2020; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (77) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

David Peterson

David Peterson surprised many including myself with his performance in 2020. He was clearly the Mets second-best starter, which is pretty good for someone who didn’t even make the Opening Day roster. He also never pitched above AA. He went 6-2 with a 3.44 ERA, with a 7.2 K/9 in 49.2 innings pitched. Peterson allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his starts and pitched at least five innings in all but three of his appearances.

I believe his season might’ve been a bit lucky as he posted a 4.52 FIP and walked 4.3 batters per nine innings pitched. He allowed a lot of base runners but got out of jams. He showed great poise and getting out of jams is a great trait to have. I just hope he can replicate that ability next season and in the future.

Even if he takes a step down, in this rotation he would be the fifth starter. I believe that if Peterson can have an ERA of around 4.00 the Mets would take that. The bullpen should be improved, and the lineup has more than enough firepower to score enough runs to win the games he starts.

I think it is a good thing to have a left-hander in the rotation, and it is also a good thing to have a younger pitcher who can learn from guys like deGrom and Bauer. Peterson is 25 years old and will be pitching in his first full season in the MLB. I think if he can tone down the walks a bit and continue to increase his velocity, Peterson can become a really good pitcher in this league. I am excited to see how he does in a full season.