How Mets rotation stacks up among NL elite after adding Freddy Peralta

It didn't come cheap, but for the first time since Jacob deGrom was in town, the New York Mets have acquired a legitimate ace to lead their rotation. Freddy Peralta is a Met, and he helps plug the biggest hole the Mets have had on their roster for over a year now.

It's obvious that adding a guy who just finished fifth in the NL Cy Young balloting this past season helps the Mets a ton, but just how good is their new-look rotation when compared to their National League competition? Let's dive in.

Where Mets rank among best projected NL Opening Day rotations

8. Milwaukee Brewers

Admittedly, there's a good chance the Milwaukee Brewers will end the 2026 season much higher on this list knowing how they always exceed expectations, but the way I see their rotation right now, there are a lot more questions than answers.

Can Brandon Woodruff stay healthy for a full season? We know Jacob Misiorowski has ace-like stuff, but can his command be consistent enough for him to have the kind of year he's capable of? Was Quinn Priester's 2025 breakout legit? Can young arms like Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson establish themselves as full-time rotation options?

Peralta was the one guy Brewers fans could plug into a mock rotation and know what to expect. There's still a lot of talent without him, but without Peralta's floor (and ceiling), it's hard to rank the Brewers much higher than this with all of the question marks in their current group of starters.

7. Philadelphia Phillies

It's important to clarify that we're ranking projected Opening Day rotations. This means Zack Wheeler, the best starter on the Philadelphia Phillies' staff who is expected to miss the beginning of the season, is not included. With a healthy Wheeler, this rotation is among the best in the league. Without him, it leaves a lot to be desired.

The top of the rotation isn't the reason why. Cristopher Sanchez was the NL Cy Young runner-up in 2025, and I wouldn't be shocked if he repeated his great year in 2026. Jesus Luzardo might be the most underrated pitcher in the National League. The rest of the rotation, though, has massive question marks.

What version of Aaron Nola will we see? If it's the good one, this rotation (with Wheeler) is probably the best in the sport. If it's the one we saw in 2025, it isn't. Taijuan Walker was once a solid mid-rotation arm, but he's been anything but reliable in Philadelphia. As for Andrew Painter, there's no denying his upside, but should he really be in the Opening Day rotation knowing he has yet to throw a big league pitch and had a 5.40 ERA this past season in Triple-A? The Phillies need depth without Wheeler and lack it as of now.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

Injury played a role in the Pittsburgh Pirates placement as well, as Jared Jones is currently projected to miss the beginning of the season. With a healthy Jones, this rotation is in the top three or four. Without him, their stock does dip a little, but there's still a lot to love.

Paul Skenes is front and center in that regard, as he's the best pitcher in the National League. Having that guy lead the way is going to help any staff. There's a lot of talent behind him, too, though. Mitch Keller might not be flashy, but he's as durable an innings eater as there is, and the Pirates were wise to keep him.

There's a good chance Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler will be lynchpins in Pittsburgh's rotation for the next half-decade, but while they've flashed upside, they've combined to make just 12 big league starts. How will they do in a full season in a rotation? As for Carmen Mlodzinski, he, too, has been more of a reliever than a starter.

5. Chicago Cubs

I can understand penalizing the Chicago Cubs for not having a legitimate ace, but this is as complete a rotation as we've seen on this list thus far. There are five legitimate starters you can trust to give you a quality outing every fifth day.

Matthew Boyd had a breakout year in 2025, and if he's able to stay healthy, it wouldn't be shocking to see him have another strong year. The same thing can be said about Edward Cabrera, who the Cubs acquired from the Marlins earlier this offseason. Cade Horton has as much upside as anyone in this staff and was the Cubs' best pitcher for much of last season. It'll be fascinating to see what he does in his first full big league season.

I wasn't in love with Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon pitching at or near the top of the Cubs' rotation, but as the No. 4 and No. 5 starters, sign me up. They're both quality veterans who, if they can do a better job preventing home runs, could be in for strong years. Justin Steele, arguably the best of the bunch, should join this group sometime in the first half as well, only raising the Cubs' rotation ceiling.

4. New York Mets

Freddy Peralta gives the Mets exactly what they needed - an ace. He might not be Tarik Skubal, but he's a guy the Mets can trust to make 30+ starts, throw 160+ innings, make an All-Star team, and start Game 1 of a playoff series. Suddenly, his presence makes the rest of the rotation look a whole lot better, too.

Nolan McLean might be the NL Rookie of the Year favorite. Clay Holmes ranked ninth in the NL in ERA in his first year as a starter. Having those guys as the No. 2 and No. 3 starters instead of leading the way makes a big difference. Suddenly, the Mets don't have to rely on the bottom of their rotation nearly as much, either.

David Peterson, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea all had down years in 2025, particularly in the second half. If they struggle again, it isn't the biggest deal in the world knowing Peralta is in the mix. There's reason to believe they'll bounce back, though. It's easy to forget that David Peterson was an All-Star last season. It's easy to forget that Kodai Senga led the NL in ERA through mid-June before landing on the IL. It's easy to forger that Sean Manaea was the team's ace in 2024 and was never healthy in 2025.

If things break right, the Mets might have a top two or three rotation in the National League. If things don't quite break their way, Peralta should still greatly improve the floor of this group. With that in mind, having the Mets just outside of the top three makes the most sense.

3. Atlanta Braves

There's every reason to believe that the Atlanta Braves will bounce back in 2026, and this rotation has a lot to do with that. It's a top three staff in the NL on paper, and has the potential to be even better.

Chris Sale is a legitimate Cy Young contender when healthy. Spencer Schwellenbach has pitched like one of the best starters in the NL when healthy. We know what Spencer Strider is capable of when healthy. Reynaldo Lopez was as underrated as they came in the NL, again, when healthy. Hurston Waldrep pitched extremely well when given the chance down the stretch this past season and could be even better over a full season.

The reason the Braves don't rank higher ultimately comes down to the lack of durability. I uttered the words "when healthy" four times when going through their five-man rotation. This group can and should be quite good, but I can't put them ahead of either of the top two teams knowing I can't really trust anyone here to make 30+ starts. Adding another arm for depth purposes should be at the top of Alex Anthopoulos' to-do list.

2. Cincinnati Reds

I can understand putting the Braves ahead of the Cincinnati Reds, but I am very bullish on this Reds rotation. It's the reason why the Reds were able to get to the playoffs this past season, and if they're able to get back to the postseason in 2026, it'll be the reason why.

Hunter Greene could easily win the NL Cy Young award this season. Andrew Abbott was an All-Star this past season and while he might not be quite the sub-3.00 ERA guy he was in 2025, he's a really strong No. 2 starter. Nick Lodolo isn't talked about much, but he had a better strikeout-to-walk ratio than guys like Jacob deGrom, Logan Webb and Cristopher Sanchez in 2025 and could be even better in 2026.

There's even a lot to like about the back-end of the staff. Brady Singer won't blow anyone away, but he's thrown the 15th-most innings in the majors since the start of the 2022 campaign. Chase Burns had his ups and downs to begin his big league career, but he has ace-like stuff and could easily break out in his first full season. This rotation has the star-power and depth needed to be one of the best in the sport.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

As good as many of these rotations are, none of them really come close to matching that of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This rotation is scary good, and quite easily the best in the game right now.

We all saw what Yoshinobu Yamamoto was capable of in the postseason, but he was a NL Cy Young finalist in the regular season as well. Blake Snell is a Cy Young-caliber arm when healthy. Shohei Ohtani's hitting gets more attention than his pitching, but he's been an elite starter when healthy. Tyler Glasnow is another arm with some durability concerns, but with All-Star upside.

Roki Sasaki struggled a bit as a starter in his first taste of big league action, but after flourishing as a reliever, there's no reason to believe he can't thrive in the rotation. Having a pitcher as talented as Emmet Sheehan as a No. 6 starter is just unfair.

The Dodgers have ridiculous depth, too, with guys like River Ryan, Gavin Stone, and Kyle Hurt expected to be healthy in the mix, and oh yeah, they could easily trade for Tarik Skubal if they really want to. This rotation is the best in the game, and could get even better with good health and a big blockbuster.

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