David Peterson: Mets Pitcher (2020 - 2024)

David John Peterson was born September 3rd, 1995, in Arcadia, California. His father Doug was a horse trainer who trained the legendary Seattle Slew, before passing away to a drug overdose when David was just nine years old. His mother Shannon had previously divorced his father.

He was raised in Colorado & went to high school there before attending the University of Oregon, pitching there for the Ducks baseball team. By his senior year set a school record winning 20 games.

In 2017 he was selected by the New York Mets in the 20th round. He began his career pitching three games for the Brooklyn Cyclones then moved up to Columbia & St. Lucie the following year. In 2019 he pitched for the AA Binghamton Rumble Ponies going 3-6 with a 4.19 ERA.

Mets Career-2020: Peterson made the Mets staff during the Covid19 shortened season. On July 28th Peterson was brought up to make his first career start. He pitched into the 6th innings allowing two runs to the Red Sox at Fenway Park to earn his first career victory. 

On August 2nd he took a loss to the Braves in Atlanta, then won his next three decisions to get to 4-1.

After taking a loss to the Blue Jays in Buffalo, NY, he had two fine starts where he pitched into the 6th & 7th innings respectively, allowing just an earned run each time. 

He finished the year 6-2 leading the team in wins, becoming the sixth Met rookie to accomplish the feat. He struck out 40 batters & walked 24 in 49.2 innings of work with a 3.44 ERA.

2021: Peterson started the third game of the season & took a loss to the Phillies at Citizen's Bank Park. On April 14th, he pitched six innings against the Phils at home, allowing just one run earning his first win of the season.

On April 21st he gave up a season high six runs taking a loss to the Cubs. Peterson's struggles would continue as he would not earn another victory until June 14th. That day he shut out the Cubs at Citi Field for six innings. 

Trivia: From April 27th to June 2nd all seven games he started were decided by one run, marking a Mets streak set by Ron Darling in 1988.

In his next two starts he gave up just one earned run each time but took no decisions. On June 30th, Peterson matched his season high allowing six earned runs to the Atlanta Braves. He was soon diagnosed with a strained oblique & would go down for the rest of the season.

2022: On an improved Mets bull club with the additions of Max Scherzer & Chris Bassit on the staff, he made his way into the rotation as a spot starter with the absence of Jacob deGrom who would not return from his injury until August. 

After making a relief appearance to start the year, Peterson started two games allowing just one earned run in each start but got no decisions. 

On May 25th, although Peterson gave up four runs to the Braves, he earned his first win as the ets won the game 5-4. On May 23rd, he earned his second win as the Mets put up 13 runs in a 13-3 win at San Francisco.

On the Mets Road trip to California, Peterson got no decision against the Dodgers, then earned a win relief at Anaheim allowing one run in 2.2 innings in the 7-3 Mets win. Peterson would collect two more wins & go to the All-Star break as a pleasant surprise helping out the staff at 5-2 with a 3.24 ERA.

In the second half he earned a pair of wins in August, first by shutting out the Braves into the 6th inning on August 6th. That night he struck out five reaching 200 K's in his career. Then on August 27th he shut out the Rockies for six innings combining for a 3-0 shut out to earn his seventh victory.

Peterson would struggle in September not earning another win & ending the year pitching in relief out of the bullpen. On the year he was 7-5 with a 3.83 ERA. 

He struck out 126 batters & walked 48 in 105.2 innings, making a career high 19 starts in 28 appearances.

2022 Post Season: In the NLWC series he made two relief appearances in the loss to the San Diego Padres.

2023: In the disappointing Mets 2023 season, Peterson also was disappointing. In 21 starts he would give up four runs or more nine times, with five or more runs five times. 

Peterson began the year with the Mets in the rotation. On March 31st, he took a tough loss in South Florida allowing just a run over eight innings in a 1-0 loss.

After falling to 0-2 he gave up six runs to the Dodgers in Los Angeles, giving up two HRs to Freddie Freeman & another to Max Muncy, but still earned a win as the Mets put up eight runs. In his next start he gave up a season high seven runs in San Francisco, serving up two more HRs.

He missed time & spent six games at AAA Syracuse before returning to the Mets at the start of July. 

On July 8th, he took a loss to the Padres falling to 2-7. He was placed in the bullpen the rest of the month. On July 27th, Peterson earned a win over the Nationals pitching two scoreless innings in relief.

Peterson made ten more starts the rest of the way collecting just one decision, a loss at Minnesota. From August 27th to the end of the season, he posted 12.03 strikeouts per nine innings ratio which was fifth best in the majors.  

On September 15th, he matched his career high ten strike outs in a game, in a 5-3 loss to the Reds at Citi Field. The ten strike outs were his highest total of the 2023 season.

At the end of the season, he underwent surgery for a damaged labrum in his left hip. 

2024: Peterson recovered well from the surgery making his Mets debut on May 29th at Citi Field. He pitched five innings earning no decision in a loss to the Dodgers, giving up three runs, two earned, including a HR to Will Smith.

From June 4th to July 22nd, Peterson went 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA in eight starts. On June 4th he earned his first win pitching into the 7th inning in a 6-3 win at Washington. In his next start at Citi Field, he gave up four runs to the Marlin's, but the Mets put up ten runs to get him to 2-0. It was the start of a Mets seven game win streak.

On June 12th, Peterson benefited from the Mets 14 run 22 hit attack in Texas, to earn his third 
win. He gave up two runs in six innings striking out eight as the Mets won their sixth straight. On June 25th he got no decision in the subway series win, as he struck out a season high eight batters allowing one run, exiting in the 5th inning with a 4-1 lead. In the game Peterson also allowed a season high five walks.

In his next two stars he got no decisions in Met wins where he allowed just two runs each time.

On July 11th, Peterson shut out the Nationals for six innings, striking out five in a combined Mets shut out, during a five-game win streak. On July 22nd, Peterson got to 5-0 with a 3.14 ERA, beating the Marlins in Miami. He fanned four & walked four giving up two runs on six hits over five innings.

On July 28th, he suffered his first loss, coming in a big loss to the Braves at Citi Field. Peterson gave up a three run HR to Matt Olsen, allowing four runs on four hits, three walks & seven strike outs over five innings.

After a no decision, he earned back-to-back wins allowing just one run in each outing coming at Colorado & at home to Oakland. Peterson was 7-1 thru his first 13 starts.

From August 3rd to September 3rd, Peterson would give up just nine earned runs in 44.2 innings pitched for a 1.81 ERA. He would win six of seven decisions in that time as well.

On August 19th, he went into the 7th inning for the first time on the season, holding a 3-1 lead over the Orioles at Citi Field. But he then gave up a two run HR to Ramon Urias leaving the game in a 3-3 tie. The Mets won it on Francisco Alvarez's Walk off HR.

On August 24th, in a big game a San Diego, against one of the teams the Mets were chasing in the wild card race, Peterson shut down the Padres, giving up just one run in 7.1 innings. He gave up just five hits, two walks & struck out two, winning his third straight game, to get to 8-1 on the season.

On August 29th, in another big series with the wild card leading Diamondbacks in Arizona, he pitched seven innings for the third straight game, leaving in a 2-2 tie. His only mistake was a two run HR to Randal Grichuk in the 3rd inning. 

The Mets won the game with the help of Jose Iglesias' 9th inning RBI single. Peterson lowered his ERA to 2.83, one of the league's best.

Most K's By Mets Pitcher on their Birthday: On September 3rd, Peterson set a Mets record as he struck out a season high 11 batters. It was the most strikeouts in franchise history for a Mets pitcher on his own birthday. 

In a win over the Red Sox at Citi Field, Peterson pitched seven innings allowing two runs on six hits, walking one to earn his ninth win to get to 9-1 with a 2.75 ERA. It was his third straight winning decision & the Mets sixth win in a row, keeping them a half game out of the third wild card spot.

Career Stats: In his five-year career Peterson is 27-22 with a 4.11 ERA. He struck out 444 batters walked 191 in 431.1 innings in 97 appearances making 81 starts. thru September 3rd 2024.

Family: Davis & his wife Alex have two children. Their daughter was born in 2024 & their son was born in 2022. Their son's name is Callahan Eugene Peterson. Eugene is a nod to the city where David went to college in Oregon.

Hobbies: David is an avid golfer & although he is a left hander, he golfs right-handed. He also enjoys photography.