New York Mets Make a Decision on Opening Day Starter

Before Friday’s spring training game, Carlos Mendoza named the Mets’ Opening Day starter for March 26 against the Pirates.

Feb 13, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) speaks to reporters during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have decided on their Opening Day starter.

On Friday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that Freddy Peralta will get the ball for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26 at Citi Field. The first-year Met earned the nod over Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Kodai Senga, all of whom could be part of the team’s rotation.

“As we acquired him, [it was] pretty clear that he was gonna be pitching at the front of our rotation,” Mendoza said two hours before Peralta’s spring debut. “He earned it. He spun it. And yeah, I’m excited and we are all excited.”

It’s official: Freddy Peralta will be the Opening Day starter! #LGM pic.twitter.com/TuSBzUyrda

— New York Mets (@Mets) February 27, 2026

Peralta, 29, was one of the Mets’ biggest acquisitions of the offseason. The club landed him alongside right-handed swingman Tobias Myers in late January, sending two of its top five prospects — Jett Williams (No. 3) and Brandon Sproat (No. 5) — to the Milwaukee Brewers in return.

A two-time All-Star in Milwaukee, Peralta has been one of the most dependable starters in baseball over the past three years. Health was an issue earlier in his career, but since 2023, he has averaged 32 starts and 172 innings per season with a 3.40 ERA and 10.7 K/9 rate.

In 2025, Peralta had a career year. Across 33 starts, the right-hander went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 204 strikeouts in 176.2 innings. Each of his four pitches produced run values of +4 or higher, according to Statcast, and he finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

The New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta throws during spring training on the back fields of Clover Park on Feb. 11, 2026, in Port St. Lucie. | CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Peralta, who is due to make $8 million this year, will be eligible for free agency following the 2026 season. Shortly after the trade became official, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said he would allow the right-hander time to adjust to his new organization before potentially discussing a contract extension.

One factor that could help in extension talks is the pre-existing familiarity between Peralta and Stearns. The two overlapped in Milwaukee for nearly a decade, as Stearns oversaw the right-hander’s development while serving as general manager from 2015 to 2023. Spotrac currently estimates Peralta’s market value at $131.2 million over five years ($26.3 million AAV).

Regardless of the long-term uncertainty, the addition of Peralta gives the 2026 Mets something the club has lacked in recent seasons — a proven ace at the top of the rotation. March 26 will mark his third straight Opening Day start, and his first with New York.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.