Peralta Helps Rotation Fall into Place

One day after we took a look at how the starting lineup is shaping up, it’s time to evaluate the rotation. The Mets, in case you missed it, completed a trade for the second night in a row. In between the wheeling and dealing, New York introduced Bo Bichette at a news conference where David Stearns said New York is “never going to stop looking for upgrades.”

So after a long December waiting for the Mets to make a move, there is now reason to believe that maybe this year will be better than the last. (Shout out to the Counting Crows.)

With Freddy Peralta, the Mets have a legitimate ace. He went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 2025, struck out 204 in 176 2/3 innings and made 33 starts. The last Met to record 200 strikeouts was Kodai Senga in 2023. Peralta has fanned at least 200 three years in a row and the last Met to do that was Jacob deGrom (2017-2019).

Nolan McLean slots in as an excellent No. 2. “Fringe benefit of the Peralta deal is that any pressure there might have been on Nolan McLean to become an instant ace has now been alleviated,” Howie Rose tweeted.

McLean was 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over eight starts in 2025. He struck out 57 in 48 innings. (Random thought: the last time the Mets had two pitchers with 200 strikeouts in the same season was 2019: deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

Behind Peralta and McLean, there is depth and questions.

David Peterson was an All-Star last season who faded in the second half to finish 9-6 with a 4.22 ERA. Clay Holmes transitioned well from the Yankee bullpen to the Mets rotation, going 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA and throwing a career-high 165 2/3 innings.

Will Sean Manaea and Senga, both at times considered aces of the staff over the last two seasons, battle for a spot in spring training? Do the Mets go to six starters? If not, who goes to the bullpen? Or does Stearns have more surprises in store?

There are still more rotation candidates: Tobias Myers, Jonah Tong and Christian Scott.

Myers, 27, acquired with Peralta, made six starts last season (and 16 relief appearances) and pitched to a 3.55 ERA over 50 2/3 innings. He pitched to a 3.00 ERA when he made 25 starts in 2024. Myers threw five shutout innings in Game 3 of the Mets-Brewers Wild Card Series, the game highlighted by the biggest home run of Pete Alonso‘s career. (Three of the six pitchers the Brewers used in that game are now Mets: Myers, Peralta and Devin Williams.)

Tong, 22, struggled in his call-up (2-3, 7.71 ERA) last season after dominating (10-5, 1.43 ERA) in the minors. He struck out 179 in 113 2/3 innings between Double-A Binghamton (102 innings) and Triple-A Syracuse (11 2/3 innings).

Scott (0-3, 4.56 ERA in nine starts in 2024) is coming off Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure. He was the Mets’ top pitching prospect when he made his debut.

A year ago, Holmes got the ball on Opening Day in Houston. The four starters who followed him: Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, Peterson and Senga.

So, yes, this year’s rotation looks better than the last.

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