The New York Mets are currently in possession of one of the three Wild Cards in the National League and are within striking distance of the first and second spots, currently held by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres, respectively. Their lead over the Atlanta Braves for the third and last Wild Card is as slim as they come, though.
If they want to play in October, the Mets can’t afford to accumulate many losses. And they have one of their toughest series of this particular stretch up ahead: the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.
To give themselves the best chance to win, the Mets altered their rotation plans for the upcoming Phillies series.
The Mets want Peterson facing the lefty-heavy Phillies
“The Mets have shuffled their rotation, shifting David Peterson ahead of Tylor Megill. That sets Peterson up to face the Phillies rather than the Nationals, and also puts him in line to pitch in Atlanta later this month. Probables in Philly: Quintana, Severino, Peterson,” Mets insider Anthony DiComo posted on his X account.
The only change the Mets implemented was moving up Peterson to face the Phillies on Sunday’s finale.
Megill was magnificent in his last start, and the same can’t be said about Peterson. However, if we consider their overall body of work in 2024, the latter has been much, much better.
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Peterson boasts a 2.98 ERA, while Megill’s is at 4.48. With this move, the Mets are making sure to send the best pitchers they can send to challenge the tough Phillies’ lineup, not to mention the fact that Philadelphia’s best hitters are left-handed and so is Peterson.
This is a must-win series for the Mets, and they are certainly treating it like one. They can’t afford to get swept in Philadelphia at this point of the season.
