Longest Tenured Mets Player Thriving in 2026 Bullpen Role
The Mets' pitching has been the team's strength this season. However, David Peterson has continued to struggle this season, but a shift to the bullpen has been a difference maker for the lefty and longest tenure Mets player this season. Peterson's struggles date back to the second half of last season. Going into the 2026 season, he didn’t have a set starting rotation spot because of those struggles and was even mentioned in trade rumors during the offseason. New York’s crafty southpaw has been better coming out of the bullpen, which he’s done before in the playoffs.
Peterson started the season in the rotation and got off to a rough start. He gave up 15 runs in his first four starts of the season. His first start of the season was really good against the Pirates, where he gave up zero runs in five and one-third innings, but then gave up 15 runs in the next three starts. After that, he only made one start after that and gave up five hits and seven runs in three and a third innings against the Nationals at Citi Field. In his five appearances in the bullpen this season, his stats have been better, and he hasn’t given up more than three runs in a relief outing. The emerging force on the mound has given up nine runs in those five relief appearances, with five of those runs being earned. The Mets' strike-throwing southpaw has been in the bullpen before during the 2024 Mets playoff run and recorded the last out in the 2024 wild card series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The former Oregon Duck's success in the Mets' bullpen this season stems from increased velocity on his fastball, a heavier reliance on his effective slider over his sinker, and the ability to attack the strike zone aggressively without pacing himself for a long start. His flaws as a starter were that the further, he got in his start, the more he struggled, especially the third time around the batting order. His role in the bullpen has been a bulk relief pitcher, which is a pitcher who pitches multiple innings after an opener pitch, around an inning or maybe two innings. While he holds a challenging 8.10 ERA across his five starts this season, the left-handed workhorse has posted a sparkling 1.69 ERA in relief appearances, emerging as a crucial arm for preserving the pitching staff in bulk innings. The dependable southpaw has shown he thrives more in a bullpen role as a bulk reliever rather than as a traditional starter.
