Mets shake up rotation as losing streak drags on: Myers gets Peterson’s start
The Mets have the longest losing streak of the 2026 season so far. skid hit 10 games before Sunday. In an attempt to right the ship before their playoff hopes disappear for good, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is shaking up the rotation. Left-hander David Peterson was originally scheduled to start against the Chicago Cubs in the series finale on Sunday, but right-hander Tobias Myers will get the nod instead.
“I don’t think my reaction matters,” Peterson told reporters on Sunday (via the New York Post). “The best decision for the team is important. We try to do everything we can to win games.”
Questions about whether or not Kodai Senga will remain in the rotation also persist, as Christian Scott is now recovered from his Tommy John surgical rehabilitation and is in Triple-A, but the team has not yet made that decision, according to The Athletic.
The 10-game losing streak is the worst for the Mets since 2004 and the 7-14 start is worst since 1983. Remember, the Mets had the best record in baseball last year as of mid-June. After June 12, they were 38-55. Combine that with the start of this year and the result is that since June 12, 2025, the Mets have played at a pace of 162 games for 98 losses in regular season games.
Rotation is of course not the only problem, but it is an area where there are replacement options. Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean are obviously going nowhere and Clay Holmes has a 1.96 ERA in four starts. Everyone else?
Peterson was an All-Star last season, but had a 6.34 ERA in the second half. After three starts this year, he has a 6.41 ERA with a 1.83 WHIP. He’s missing a few bats, but he’s also hit hard. Maybe he could find a home in the bullpen, and The Athletic reports that’s at least the temporary plan.
Senga so far this season in four starts is 0-3 with an ERA of 8.83, a WHIP of 1.90 and a WAR of -0.7. This really is as bad as it gets. He began the season with a 3.00 ERA and 320 strikeouts in 285 career innings. He’s dealt with some injuries, but otherwise he’s been pretty good overall.
“Started off pretty well the first two outings,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after Senga’s start Saturday, in which he allowed six earned runs in 3 ⅓ innings. “Coming out of spring training we saw a different guy, but in the last two games I think the intention wasn’t there. We saw the velo early and now it’s more like feeling the strike zone, more like pitchability – trying to mix in cutters and sweepers rather than chasing people, which is what we saw in spring training and the first two outings.”
Myers was a swingman, making 31 starts and 24 relief appearances during his three-year career. He is 8-7 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 138 strikeouts against 48 walks in 155 ⅓ innings as a starter. He’s worth it compared to what Peterson has given them over the past few months, dating back to last season.
Scott made nine starts as a rookie in 2024 and showed flashes of quality after looking dominant in Triple-A. He came down with a torn UCL, however, and has been out since late July 2024. In three Triple-A starts this season, he struck out 17 against two walks in 13 ⅔ innings. Giving him a chance instead of Senga in the rotation would make sense. Maybe the Mets would later decide to give Senga another chance and leave Scott in the rotation with Myers returning to the bullpen?
Time will tell.
For now, the Mets are desperately trying to salvage the season by turning things around quickly. It’s easy to say “it’s early,” but the Mets are already seven games out of first place and at +100 odds to make the playoffs (via Caesars). They have to start winning.
