Mets' David Stearns gives vote of confidence to David Peterson; waiting for opportunity to call up Craig Kimbrel
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke about the state of the rotation and bullpen, including his confidence that David Peterson can bounce back from his tough start to the season.
David Peterson has had a disappointing start to his 2026 season. After making his first All-Star Game a year ago, the Mets southpaw has stumbled out of the game with three subpar starts, including back-to-back outings where he's allowed five earned runs. But for Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, it's still a small sample size and he believes Peterson will right the ship.
"Petey, I’m sure the last two haven’t gone the way he wanted, haven’t gone the way we wanted," Stearns told the media ahead of the team's series opener against the Athletics on Friday. "But we believe in who he is as a pitcher. He's a great competitor, and I think he'll put this past him.
" Across his first three starts, Peterson has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) across 14. 2 innings pitched. His ERA stands at 6.
14 and the Mets are 1-2 in his starts. Following Peterson's latest loss, there were questions as to whether his place in the rotation should be reconsidered, especially with Sean Manaea pitching effectively in long relief. Stearns is confident that Manaea will make starts for the Mets in 2026 and doesn't necessarily have to replace someone in the rotation to do it.