The 5 most important Mets who have to prove they belong in the big leagues

3) David Peterson

David Peterson won’t make the Opening Day roster. Hip surgery will cause him to begin the season on the IL. His return is unknown, but once healthy, Peterson is going to have to win his way back to the majors.

Now 28, Peterson should be in or about to enter the prime of his career. In a lot of ways he still feels like one of the young bucks on the roster. He’s anything but. Having now tossed a total of 333 innings for the Mets, Peterson remains somewhat of a mystery. He’s good one year and not so the next.

Interestingly, whenever the Mets seem to give Peterson a roster spot, he struggles. It’s the seasons when he has been forced to battle where he pitches better. He snuck onto the roster in 2020 after Marcus Stroman hit the IL. He did the same in 2022 as a depth piece they moved back and forth from the minors and at times placed into the bullpen.

Not much has changed with Peterson through the years. He still walks too many batters. He has a tendency to go cold at times. This forces him back into sixth starter status. Each time he gets himself up the hill, the boulder he pushed drops back down. The 2024 season will be another year where he starts at the bottom.