:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(761x249:763x251)/Valerie-Bertinelli-Mike-Goodnough-062524-tout-740ab2a9ab52457ca661a6efb97a06af.jpg "Valerie Bertinelli Breaks Her Silence About Split from Mike Goodnough")
PORT ST. LUCIE — This was the version of David Peterson the Mets came to know last year, the version of Peterson they’ll need — perhaps even more critically — again this year.
The southpaw made his first Grapefruit League outing on Monday against the Marlins and picked up right where he left off last year, tossing three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and surrendering just one hit and no walks.
“Really good,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Peterson. “Three [innings], all of his pitches were really, really good, especially the slider. That’s a pitch that, last year, he had trouble with, in my opinion. Today, he got some swings and misses. Fastball was really good for the first time out. Curveball, everything.”
Peterson entered in the third inning and struck out two of the first three batters he faced in a perfect frame, then navigated around a leadoff single in the fourth before another 1-2-3 frame in the fifth.
He threw 37 total pitches, 25 of which were strikes, forced five swings-and-misses and topped out at 94 mph in an impressive showing.
He threw his slider nine times, four for strikes.
And four of his five forced swings-and-misses came from that slider.
It was a rare weak spot for Peterson last year, when opposing hitters owned a .287 average and .777 OPS against the pitch, per FanGraphs — way higher than any of his other pitches.
Perhaps it’s a sign there’s another level to his game.
“Felt like I was able to execute some good sliders, fastball felt good coming out,” Peterson said. “I had some curveballs later on that we were able to work on. I was able to see some good stuff out of everything.”
He followed Kodai Senga, who pitched two scoreless innings in his own spring debut.
Both are being counted on atop a Mets rotation that is filled with question marks.
Peterson’s breakout 2024 showing — when he had a 2.90 ERA in 21 starts in the regular season — solidified him as a mainstay in the rotation this year after bouncing between the minors and majors the first four years of his career.
Put simply, the Mets need to be able to count on Peterson.
Monday was a strong start.
“To be the same guy,” Mendoza said about what he wants to see from Peterson. “Last year, felt like when he got in trouble, he made pitches when needed. … More of the confidence of, ‘I’m one of the guys here. My stuff plays against any lineup.’ Just more of that, the conviction.”
