The schedule has done them no favors, and this group is still in good shape to achieve all of its goals. The pitching so far this season has been phenomenal for the Mets. David Peterson is one of the starters who has continued his stellar form into 2025. The Denver native had his breakout year last season and now has continued his All-Star-like form for this World Series contender. Peterson picked up his third win of the season, surprisingly having his most success with three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani.

The two-way superstar went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against Peterson. New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had a simple response to how the lefty performed against Ohtani.

“I think he made him look human.”

The Mets got a much-needed breakout performance from Juan Soto

Saturday was a reassuring night for New York as its superstar offseason signing had a breakout performance. Juan Soto’s tenure in Queens has gotten off to a rocky start. And the pressure is on the four-time All-Star to produce, considering his hefty contract. Soto lived up to that contract in this performance, going 2/5 with two RBIs.

The Mets are now 31-21 overall as they look to keep pace with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. The Phillies have been on an absolute tear so far and are currently at least 2.5 games up on every team in the division. New York will need Soto to have more games like he did against the Dodgers if it wants to win its first World Series since 1986. But it’s a testament to this roster that it has been able to overcome the new star’s slow start.

Overall, having a pitcher like Peterson who can slow down Ohtani could be critical for New York in the postseason. The Dodgers eliminated the Mets in the NLCS last season and are primed to make another deep run with their current roster. There’s a good chance the road to the NL Pennant runs through Los Angeles. It’s a long way to October, but the Mets must also keep the bigger picture in mind.