David Peterson had yet another inconsistent season in 2025

David Peterson’s 2024 season was a new high for the southpaw: the most innings he had ever pitched, the lowest ERA he had ever had, his fewest home runs allowed, and the best ERA+ of his career. He came into 2025 looking to build on that foundation with just two seasons to before reaching free agency.

Unfortunately, his 2025 campaign fell short of the potential excellence he displayed in 2024. After a promising start to the season through the first half, he fell off hard and fast the last two months of the year, one of many pieces to the puzzle of the Mets’ eventual failure to make the playoffs. And while he wasn’t the only problem within the Mets’ pitching staff, his implosion as the Mets’ most reliable arm really hurt a team looking for any sort of stability to buoy them through their struggles.

In total, Peterson had a 4.22 ERA in 168.2 innings across 30 starts. He struck out 150, with a 8.0 K/9, a 1.370 WHIP, and a 3.48 FIP. He accumulated 1.4 bWAR, a little less than half his total from 2024. He allowed 0.6 HR/9, which was in line with his 2024 rate, but his 8.9 H/9 and 3.5 BB/9 were higher this year, leading to a slightly below average 95 ERA+. It wasn’t a truly awful season, just a slightly below average one, which seemed more stark in comparison to the brilliance he flashed in 2024.

But the first half lifted up a truly awful last two months of the season. Peterson had a 3.06 ERA across 109 innings with 93 strikeouts and a 1.239 WHIP in the first half. His stats fell precipitously in the second half, with a 6.34 ERA in 59.2 innings, 57 strikeouts, and a 1.609 WHIP. His K/9 did jump in the second half, raising from 7.7 to 8.6, but that didn’t aid him in any way. And his September was especially bad, as he had a 9.72 ERA in four starts totaling just 16.2 innings with an astronomical 1.920 WHIP. At a time when the Mets needed any good or even mediocre pitching they could get, Peterson simply could not deliver.

Despite these struggles, this was Peterson’s most acclaimed season yet. He was named to the All-Star roster as a replacement for Robbie Ray. He pitched the fourth inning in the game, a scoreless frame with two hits and a strikeout. He was also a finalist for the Gold Glove Award, losing to Logan Webb. Hearing those accolades on the surface might lead one to believe this was a successful season for Peterson, but all it did was reiterate the inconsistency he has become known for. One season to the next, one month to the next, one inning to the next, Peterson could switch it up at any moment, for better or for worse.

Peterson is entering his final season before free agency. He might be able to unlock more and fix what went wrong this season with Justin Willard as the Mets’ new pitching coach. There’s also a non-zero chance he gets traded, as a decent young pitcher with one year left could be attractive to other teams as the Mets look to rework their roster after a disappointing season. Whatever David Peterson’s future might hold, it’s difficult to say. He’s never been consistent enough to be able to predict, one way or the other. Why should his future be any different?