2 Mets players who will continue to surprise us in the second half, 2 who will decline

David Peterson will see his luck run out

David Peterson has been a weird case for the 2024 Mets. Still prone to outings where he can’t find the strike zone, his 3.9 walks paired with 6.6 strikeouts per 9 are a frustrating duo. The 3.09 ERA is good and the fact that he is 4-0 with the team winning 7 of the last games in which he started is pretty ridiculous. 

Peterson hasn’t pitched all that well. His 1.42 WHIP is second to only the 2023 season in terms of “worseness.” Base runners aplenty whenever he’s on the mound, Peterson is not someone the Mets can fully invest trust in as the second half progresses. 

Injury concerns, which there have been plenty of in Peterson’s career, aren’t the problem this year because he already underwent his lengthy IL stint. Reality setting in and runs starting to come around the bases is what should have us worried about putting any sort of faith in Peterson.

We can call his first half a success because of the run prevention he provided the Mets. But how many times has an inning ending double play gotten him out of a jam?

The Mets need to look beyond the end result with Peterson to see he isn’t someone they should rely on as much more than depth. Credit some good defense behind him for saving him from already getting chased out of the rotation.