NY Mets coaching doesn't deserve blame for Freddy Peralta, David Peterson mess (yet)

The NY Post probably should have gotten their breakdown of how much of a mess the New York Mets pitching staff was this year a few hours earlier. By the time their story on Freddy Peralta and David Peterson went live, the latter was throwing a clunker for the Chicago Cubs. It came a day after Peralta’s masterful performance against the Mets that, outside of a leadoff home run, was everything an ace should be.

Both pitchers have spent a month or more with their new teams. Peterson was a late June trade while Peralta went to the Rays nearer to the August 3 deadline. In 59 innings for the Cubs, Peterson has gone 4-2 with a 4.58 ERA. His latest outing was something we saw way too often in 2026. He lasted 3.2 and surrendered 6 runs while walking 4. The ERA is down significantly from the 6.09 it was with the Mets. However, when looking at the FIP, we see a different tale.

The 3.85 FIP with the Mets suggests Peterson was the recipient of bad luck. It’s at 4.54 the Cubs, only 4 points off of what the actual ERA is. Chicago is getting exactly what they should expect. The Mets got a guy who might have been hurt by a few too many balls passing through the infield for base hits.

Freddy Peralta and David Peterson aren’t all that different since leaving the Mets

The results tell us Peterson has indeed been better. Even with a 3.1% home run rate, fewer ground balls, and more walks, the batting average against him has dropped to .260 from an abominable .292 it was with the Mets. The number of extra-base hits Peterson allowed with the Mets was at a much higher rate. With 13 doubles, 4 triples, and 6 home runs, he has currently given up 9 doubles and 8 home runs with the Cubs. It’s those pesky triples we need to question.

How many times was there a ball down the line that Bo Bichette or Mark Vientos missed? Carson Benge, as flashy as he has been at times as a defender, has also misplayed multiple balls. It’s not all on the defense but the difference between the gloves behind Peterson on the Cubs and Mets is night and day.

Then there’s Peralta who has some of the same results. His ERA has gone from 4.99 with the Mets to 4.86 with the Rays. Incredibly close, the small sampling has included far fewer walks (1.8 per 9 vs. 3.8 per 9) along with less hits. Peralta finished his Mets tenure with 9.5 H/9 and has dropped it to a respectable 7.6 H/9 with Tampa Bay. The FIP stinks because of 6 home runs already allowed. However, the 1.02 WHIP is impressive.

While the Cubs lead all of MLB with 62 OAA, the Rays are 17th at -3 OAA. It still beats the Mets at -19, ranking 24th. Other metrics favor the Rays more. In either case, both pitchers landed on teams with superior defense behind them.

It would be great if all five fingers could get pointed at the Mets’ pitching philosophy and coaching, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Peterson is still prone to getting roughed up and Peralta hasn’t been magnificent enough since departing.

Meanwhile, Clay Holmes has a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings with a pitiful 5.6 K/9 rate. All three have seen their strikeout totals drop and ERAs do the same. Is that coincidence, a trust in the defense behind them, or a different approach while on the attack altogether?

The Mets have things to figure out, but the Peterson and Peralta examples just haven’t been exceptional enough to take all of the blame.

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