He came, he conquered, then he left faster than the ligament that tore in his elbow. After missing all of 2014 with Tommy John surgery, Matt Harvey’s return to the mound in Flushing in 2015 is the most anticipated pitching return in the majors.
If it counts for anything, it’s not like Matt Harvey hasn’t been busy all season. Besides rehab, he found time to tweet, model for ESPN The Mags’ body issue and go to a few NBA games. In short, despite not working, Harvey found a way to keep a spotlight on him while his team struggled in 2014.
There was also that time when he was at Derek Jeter’s final game in the Bronx, while his Mets were playing, but we won’t go far into that.
But now that 2014 is over and we look forward to 2015, it’s time for Harvey, who’s been eager to return to the mound, to put up and get the Mets to the postseason, especially in a time where their cross-town rival New York Yankees are rebuilding (Nathan Eovladi? Really ?).
And the Mets know that 2015-18 are key years for the franchise, which is why they’ve been extremely cautious with Harvey’s rehab, not allowing him to come back early from it and denying him from pitching last September.
In 36 career starts for the Mets, Harvey is 12-10 with a 2.39 ERA and 261 strikeouts. In just a short time, Harvey has proven that he is the real deal.
Just ask Red Sox great, and possible Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez, who is also calling Harvey the real deal on the mound.
When asked how good Harvey can be, Martinez responded:
“As good as anyone in the game. He’s got everything he needs. He’s got toughness, he’s got desire, he’s got fire, he knows how to pitch, he is a competitor and he is smart. He has the entire package.”
Before tearing his UCL toward the end of the 2013 season, his breakout year with the Mets, Harvey was 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 26 starts with 191 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP, earning his first All-Star appearance in, where else but, Citi Field in Flushing.
“Harvey, is the key to the Mets in every way. Without Harvey, no way. Remember [Jacob] deGrom, it is only his second year – the hitter are going to be aware of the Rookie of the Year.”
Harvey’s return will be crucial for NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom’s continued success in New York. As the “other” key part of the Mets projected strong rotation of the future, deGrom went 9-6 in 22 games (all starts) for the Mets in 2014, with a 2.69 ERA in 140 1/3 innings, 144 strikeouts and posted a 1.14 WHIP.
While deGrom’s development continues, having another star-ace pitcher in Harvey could lighten the load on deGrom to “carry the rotation” so to say and allow the long-haired righty to just go out an pitch while teams are expected to catch up to him in 2015.
“Harvey is the biggest piece for that organization. I get excited when I watch him pitch.”
To fully understand the Harvey effect, you have to understand his value. Without Harvey in 2014, the Mets finished eighth in BAA (.248), sixth in ERA (3.49) and third in strikeouts (1,303). That staff can only improve on those with Harvey and a more experienced starting rotation that finished 57-55 combined with a 3.66 ERA last year, better than the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
The challenge for the Mets going forward is keep him healthy and on the mound f this team is going to sneak into the postseason in 2015. They have already mentioned about placing Harvey on the DL this summer if it extends his season into October.
“If he’s a little ouchy then that’s always a possibility,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said at the winter meetings. “Fatigue can manifest itself in ways that warrant a disabled list. …We’l just have to see how he does.”
“They need to hold a leash on his desire to pitch,” Martinez added. “Even though he is a competitor and he is going to have great games, you need to pace him. It’s not taking the ball away from him, it’s pacing him. Keep track of how he looks and what he does day by day, not just what he does in games, what he does every day.”
Matt Harvey is the straw that stirs the Mets drink. How he returns from Tommy John will determine if that orange drink stays fresh, or becomes stale in 2015. There’s no question that he has talent and could really help the Mets reach that next level they’ve been held out of for a long time. In ways, he’s the hero that Flushing wanted, and needed.