Mets fans have already lost patience with these 3 players

2) NY Mets fans have lost patience with David Peterson

With Justin Verlander missing April with an injury and Max Scherzer suspended ten games, the Mets’ pitching depth was tested early on. Ending April with a winning record reflected their ability to persevere with depth options like Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi.

For David Peterson, however, April was a wasted opportunity. Despite having a strong spring and winning the final rotation spot out of camp, the left-hander struggled mightily, with a 7.34 ERA through his first six starts. Not surprisingly, the Mets went 1-5 in those games, and Peterson found himself sent back to Triple A Syracuse.

While a lot went wrong for Peterson, two trends stand out. Peterson has been bitten too often by the long ball, with eight home runs surrendered in those six starts (just under 30 innings pitched). In 2022, he gave up just eleven the entire year across 105 2/3 innings.

The second – and perhaps more alarming – trend is a lack of effectiveness with one of his signature pitches. Last season, opposing batters hit just .175 against Peterson’s slider, which he threw 29 percent of the time. Through the first six outings this season, the opposing average on his slider ballooned to .390.

With Scherzer and Verlander both returning, and stronger early season performances from other starters, Peterson’s path back to the rotation appears muddy. The Mets’ lack of high-level pitching prospects means that Peterson may not have run out of chances just yet – but assuming the rest of the staff pitches well, it may be a while before he gets another chance.