David Peterson has emerged as the ace for the New York Mets

Peterson had shown signs of what he'd eventually become last year, reaching personal bests in ERA and innings pitched despite missing the first two months of the year recovering from hip surgery. But after spending years in the background, the lefty has finally broken out and shown just how good he really is, doing everything New York has asked of him and more.

In Peterson's last four starts, he is sporting an astonishingly low 1.05 ERA in 25.2 innings; he's pitched at least six innings in all of them.

Even Peterson's appearance in the All-Star game is proof of how far he's come. Prior to 2024, the lefty had two seasons with an ERA over 5, and now he is one of the best pitchers in the National League. But the great numbers don't tell the entire story.

Peterson has been "the guy" all season for the Mets: the guy who powers through, who throws another inning, who gets out of a jam. He is always able to take the moment and go with it. Nothing, even a bad start, seems to shake Peterson.

When Peterson is on the mound, the Mets are effectively guaranteed quality innings over the course of the game, giving them a tremendous advantage. The 29-year-old has become the number one starter on this team in a few short months, and Mets fans have a lot to look forward to with him.