The New York Mets breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday night when they swung a trade for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. The Mets finally have some much-needed rotation stability, not to mention an ace of their own. Quite the get considering what must be a hefty price tag for Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
It’s almost incredible how much this trade instantly improves the Mets’ rotation. Peralta leans on his fastball, but gives up lots of soft contact despite being a fly ball pitcher. Certainly ideal for Citi Field.
However, the Mets would still be wise to add to the pitching staff. Freddy Peralta is a bona fide No. 1 starter who is all but certain to start on Opening Day. The support behind him, on the other hand, is a wee bit rickety. In a nutshell, the Mets are banking on their arms moving past the fatigue and injuries that plagued the staff in 2025.
Let’s take a look and see if we can predict how the Mets will stack their rotation. We’ve already established Peralta as the Opening Day ace, so we’ll pickup at the No. 2 spot.
David Peterson
The big lefty broke out last season with a career-high 30 starts and 168.2 innings. Peterson had a 2.83 ERA through July before running head first into the fatigue wall, posting an awful 7.81 mark the rest of the way. Now that he’s 30 years old, the Mets hope he can come back and continue improving his sinker and slider.
Better yet, Peterson is an expiring contract. Win or lose, the Mets should be able to move him fairly easily at the deadline if needed.
Sean Manaea
The Mets really hope they get more out of the lefty Manaea than they did in 2025, the first year of a three-year, $75 million deal he signed last offseason. Shoulder and hamstring troubles limited him to 15 games (12 starts), and he went 2-4 with a 5.64 ERA. However, Manaea’s underlying metrics suggest more than his fair share of bad luck, including a .314 BABIP.
Manaea also posted a 3.94 xERA and a 3.30 xFIP, and his 103 Stuff+ was his highest since 2021. However, neither he nor the Mets can bank entirely on better luck. The fastball dominant lefty’s average fastball velocity dipped below 92 mph last year, so he should be prepared to use his sweeper more. Maybe even start throwing a sinker.
Kodai Senga
Remember when the “Ghost Fork” was supposed to take Queens by storm with Senga leading the way? New York (and, of course, our friends at Pepperidge Farm) sure does. Senga signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Mets after he made his bones with Japan’s Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, with whom his signature pitch saw him go 104-51 with a 2.42 ERA in 11 seasons. It looked like Senga would be business as usual in MLB, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and making the All-Star team as a “rookie.”
However, though Senga has a 3.03 ERA in the two years since, he has had issues staying healthy. Shoulder trouble limited him to just one start in 2024, and 2025 was a roller coaster. The veteran righty led the majors with a 1.47 ERA in 13 starts before injuring his hamstring in June. When he returned, he did a complete 180 and pitched to an awful 5.90 ERA from mid-July through August before being shipped to the minors.
Unfortunately, that proved fruitless as Senga managed an even worse 6.08 ERA in three minor league starts. Now days from turning 33, the Mets’ pitching depth is such that Senga could find himself on a short leash in spring training.
Nolan McLean
Lucky for the Mets, there’s only one question about Nolan McLean: Can he repeat his great success from his brief rookie stint last year? The sinker/sweeper specialist went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA in eight starts. The 24-year-old also had an astounding 117 Stuff+. If anything, look for new pitching coach Justin Willard to get McLean throwing his four-seam fastball more often.
It’s unlikely he’ll put up the same eye-popping numbers over a full season. Regardless, the Mets are in pretty good shape with someone of McLean’s caliber holding down the back end of the rotation.
The 6th Man?
We’ve been saying for years how baseball teams are probably headed towards six-man starting rotations, though it hasn’t happened yet. However, the 2026 season might be when we finally see multiple teams utilize it, particularly the Mets. The only question is: Who?
The most obvious answer is righty Clay Holmes, who started Opening Day last year in his first full year as a starter. The former Yankee and All-Star closer did better than expected, going 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 53 games (31 starts). However, Holmes tired out after the All-Star Break. By September, he was essentially an opener. Better he go back to the bullpen and support Devin Williams, especially after Edwin Diaz’s Dodgers departure.
That leaves another exciting young rookie in Jonah Tong. He had a 1.43 ERA in 22 starts across two minor league levels last season before getting the call. However, he went 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts. Welcome to the big leagues, indeed. Tong will need more than just a wacky windup if he wants to succeed as a starter.
Furthermore, let’s not forget Christian Scott comes back from Tommy John this year.
On the whole, the Mets’ rotation is in much better shape. Fans should breathe a sigh of relief. For the first time all season, something resembling a plan is slowly taking shape.
The Mets’ 2026 win total is set at 89.5. Grab a DraftKings promo code and get in on the New York sports betting action.
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