On Monday night, Matt Harvey made his fourth start for the New York Mets since coming off the DL at the beginning of September. It did not go well for Harvey against the Miami Marlins – in four innings of work, Harvey allowed seven runs on 12 hits, striking out two, walking two, and giving up one mammoth home run to Giancarlo Stanton.
In 17 starts this year following thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last summer, Harvey has thrown just 84 2/3 innings. His ERA is an unsightly 6.59, and he’s struck out just 62 batters while walking 42. His ERA is a career worst, he’s already reached his career-high in walks, and his strikeout rate is a career-worst – and that number has gone down in every season of his career since his 2012 rookie season.
Adding to the pain, Harvey’s fastball velocity is sitting at just 93.8 mph this year, two mph down from his velocity during both the 2013 and 2015 season, before and after the Tommy John surgery that cost him all of the 2014 season.
Harvey is making $5.125 million this season, and is eligible for arbitration for the third and final time in 2018. During his career in the majors, he’s thrown 100 innings in a season just twice. He’s had a pair of major surgeries, and he’ll turn 29 years old just days before Opening Day of the 2018 season.
Following his start in Miami, Harvey sounded like a guy that was confused and devastated by his continuing poor performance.
During his first two years in the majors, Harvey was one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball. It was a pleasure to watch him every fifth day, and you knew that every time he took the mound, there was a chance that something special could happen. And even after he missed all of 2014, he was a key part of the Mets’ run to the NL pennant in 2015.
But it all began to go downhill for Harvey in Game 5 of the World Series, where he famously fought with Mets manager Terry Collins to stay in the game for the ninth inning and finish off what was a dominant performance until that point.
It’s all gone downhill over the last two years. Harvey missed half of the 2016 season following the TOS surgery, was suspended for three games in 2017 after violating team rules, and spent two and a half months on the DL due to a stress fracture in his scapula.
The Mets will likely non-tender Harvey this offseason. Given the struggles on the field and troubles off the field, maybe it’s for the best that the two sides go their separate ways. Harvey will likely get an incentive-laden major league deal from another team – there’s never enough pitching in this league. But unfortunately, it looks like the days of The Dark Knight saving Flushing from the rest of the evil NL East are over, and that’s a damn shame.
It’s been sad to watch his decline. He was the man. I’ll never criticize Collins for leaving him that game. Thanks for everything Matt. I hope you find success at your next destination.