It seems like ancient history now, but right-hander Matt Harvey used to be considered among the majors’ elite players. A 2010 seventh overall pick of the Mets, Harvey debuted in the bigs in 2012 and truly broke out the next season with 178 1/3 innings of 2.27 ERA ball. From his first taste of MLB action until 2015, Harvey posted a 2.53 ERA with 9.46 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 over 427 frames, earned an All-Star bid and was part of a pennant-winning team. Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom were supposed to form an unstoppable trio atop the Mets’ rotation for the long haul, but it wasn’t to be, as Harvey experienced a dramatic fall from grace during his time in their uniform.
Injuries have been an all-too-common problem for Harvey, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow in October 2013 and sat out all of of the next season. Harvey made a triumphant return to win NL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2015 – the latest season in which the Mets went to the World Series – but it wasn’t a campaign devoid of controversy for the hurler who became known as the Dark Knight. He and agent Scott Boras pushed for a limit of 180 innings for the year, but Harvey ended up exceeding that amount with ease, tossing 189 1/3 frames in the regular season and racking up another 26 2/3 in the playoffs. The workload may have been too heavy for his taste, but Harvey was actually great that October – including an eight-inning, two-run effort in a Fall Classic-deciding, Game 5 defeat to the Royals. Little did anyone know that shining moments would be so few and far between for him since then.
Rewinding to 2016, you’d have a hard time finding many regular starters who have been worse than Harvey. He underwent thoracic outlet surgery in July of that year, and that now looks like a death knell in hindsight. Now 31 years old, Harvey’s the owner of a 5.56 ERA – the third-highest figure among all qualified starters – in his most recent 390 innings.
Having seen enough of Harvey, the Mets – once justified in believing he was a true ace – gave up on him exactly two years ago. It was on May 8, 2018, that the Mets traded Harvey to the Reds for catcher Devin Mesoraco – another once-promising player who didn’t pan out as hoped. Harvey turned out OK as a Red, contributing 128 innings of 4.50 ERA ball en route to an $11MM guarantee with the Angels during the next period of free agency. Likewise, Mesoraco wasn’t horrible as a member of the Mets, with whom he batted .222/.306/.409 in 229 plate appearances. But neither player is even in baseball at this point.
Mesoraco has all but retired after sitting out the 2019 campaign. Harvey could still resume his career, but it’s not looking good. The former front-end starter was so ineffective in his lone year with the Angels that they released him in July. Harvey did catch on with the Athletics on a minor league contract after that, but he didn’t crack their big league roster at all, and there have been few rumblings about him since he elected free agency at the outset of offseason. In fact, MLBTR’s archives have just two somewhat recent news items on Harvey – one on how he auditioned for the Blue Jays as a reliever during the winter and another saying the Mets aren’t interested in reuniting with him. It’s a stunning descent for a pitcher who was among the best during his Mets heyday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
The Royals ended Harvey’s stardom in the 9th inning of game five. His face all over the TV telling his coach to eff off because he wanted the game in his hands. And he blew it. Some guys never come back from that. Injuries can be blamed, but he wasn’t the same person after that, and he had had injuries before.
You can’t blame the guy for wanting the ball especially with how he was pitching. His stuff was looking really good and sometimes as a pitcher you know when everything is clicking and you just want the ball. I have asked for the ball in the state playoffs in high school and in conference tournament in college. So as a former pitcher I understand why Harvey wanted the ball even though it may seem selfish it wasn’t
Is it okay if I blame Familia instead? He had an awful 2015 World Series which no one really talks about much and could have picked up Harvey in Game 5 along with other Mets pitchers throughout the series.
1 earned run (2runs) 5 saves the entire payoffs And familia was at fault?
Sure Familia had three blown saves but at least two of them had context. In game 4, Murphy booted a completely routine ground ball, he couldn’t have turned a double play but still. In game 5 Hosmer scored because of 3 things: 1) Credit to Hosmer for smart base running, 2) Wright really should have let Perez have the infield hit and ran Hosmer back to third, 3) Duda had a lousy throw home.
That’s what separates a good manager from a bad one: The ability to tell your star to sit. Harvey had over a hundred pitches by that point which is the usually accepted threshold where a pitcher starts to lose it. By his splits Harvey was no exception that year.
You always want to have the guy who wants the ball in difficult games. Winners have that attitude.
Except he didn’t win the game. I’d rather have the player who puts what’s best for the team first.
@scott – but he’s not a winner. He did have attitude, though – just not the type the clubhouse appreciated.
Probably had nothing to do with the TJ or thoracic outlet surgeries, or his partying.
Nah dude it was the injuries let’s be real
In all fairness the Royals cheated doing the exact same thing the Astros did with stealing signals.
Oh yes, the organization who doesn’t let their players watch adult films definitely was behind the scenes scheming how to steal signs. /s
Every team scouts and tries to read signs from second base. That’s not cheating.
The astros went beyond that and were using video during the game and actively tried to signal players.
Baseless accusations when absolutely no one with any sort of credibility has even commented on the team makes you look like a butt hurt clown.
If you are talking about the Wild Card game against Lester, there were some reports of Lester’s yips, but the killer was Soto getting hurt early in the game which forced the A’s to use probaly the worst possible catcher in baseball to handle Lester in Derek Norris who had a noodle arm and just was not very good. Lester was exposed and Royals took advantage of it.
people tend to forget that the Astros,of all teams, filed a complaint with MLB about the Royals 3rd base coach coming down the line and stealing pitches directly from the pitchers hand and relaying it to the batter during the 2015 ALCS. the Mets even complained about it during the WS.
I don’t care about either team but is this based on anything? Or are you just a Houston Cheaters fan?
this was a big story in 2015, and no,I’m not an Astros fan,it’s just a fact.
No not at all….. the injury he got… nobody recovers from that. Read about it
The NL East had Harvey, Strasburg, deGrom, Thor, Nola, Fernandez, Folty, and Scherzer all in the same division.
Harvey, Strasburg, deGrom, Thor, Fernandez, Folty, and Scherzer
Which two names does not belong?
Folty
Agreed, folty had one really good season. All others were average or worse
I see the NY education system works. I mention TWO and he names ONE.
As for the TWO, that would be the TWO with the superhero nicknames. The others were good enough to gain respect without NY media hype.
Fernandez has been dead for 3 1/2 years, and he still has a better career than Harvey and Syndergaard.
He only mentioned ONE name because only ONE name didn’t belong (Folty). He was talking about how great the division was at one point in time. At that time, Harvey was one of the best pitchers in the game. I see the Florida education system works.
As for your bizarre comparison of Fernandez to Harvey and Syndergaard, you’re wrong. Syndergaard has a higher career WAR.
I know you’re a pathetic Mets-hating troll on every single article, but please try to be accurate. If you’re insistent on removing two names from that list, it would be Nola and Folty. Especially Folty.
I don’t know why you’re so angry all the time on here towards the Mets. You should be happy. With the COVID-shortened season, you won’t have to see the Marlins lose 100 games again.
Biggest innings jump from one year to the next in baseball history. Coming off TJS no less. Harvey didn’t do himself any favors off the field, but the Mets misuse killed his career.
Believe that he volunteered to pitch those extra post season innings.
You mean, Harvey publicly bitching preseason About not wanting to be apart of 6 man rotation to protect him?
The Mets rode him until he was past done.. At one time, he and Strasburg were on the same plane. The Nationals protected Strasburg’s health, and the Mets did not with Harvey. What you see today is the result.
Maybe if Harvey laid off the booze and really went all in on baseball he would be playing. Seems to me it’s more the alcohol than anything and he has stated before he doesn’t plan on changing his ways
Baseball is so weird and so many players have resurgences and second acts to their careers so I wouldn’t rule out Harvey as of yet. At least I hope he does, would be cool to see him as an effective pitcher again. Maybe he has a Scott Kazmir turnaround in him.
If he’s genuinely willing to work as a RP, he may have a shot at hanging around awhile yet. I see no path forward for him as a starter at the ML level, though. If you’re going to throw a back-end SP out there and ride the rollercoaster, it just seems more prudent to have it be a young SP who might discover something in the process.
Not a team player, so there’s zero chance of a Harvey resurrection. It’s always all about him.
Besides, he seemed to be more interested in hockey games and hanging at MSG. Don’t forget the missed practices and BS excuses he gave.
The Mets have a history when it comes to young starting pitchers who were supposed to be good, only to fizzle or get hurt, Matz and Thor being two recent examples. Anyone remember Paul Wilson?
If anything ever happens to deGrom, the Mets will be toast. Ya gotta wonder, is it simply bad luck or is there something seriously at fault with the Mets medical staff and/or pitching instructors?
Typical myopic criticism. Every team has a history of failed SP prospects. Look across at the Yankees for example.
They also blew their chance with Sidd Finch
Mets suck so bad with overrated prospects, they even have an overrated bust QB.
Who couldn’t even complete half of his passes in which was a career that lasted 35 games and 16 starts if you do not include the postseason, with literally only highlights being 7 4th quarter comebacks and a fluke playoff win over the Squealers, only to get to bent over by the Deflatriots a week later.
Tebow’d have been up with the sticky fish two years ago and hit leadoff.
Finch couldn’t pitch with shoes on.
It wasn’t just Wilson. It was WIlson, Isringhausen and Pulsipher. I probably butchered Izzy’s last name, sorry.
I think they called them Generation K back then. Another supposed “up and coming ’69 pitching rotation” that completely fizzled.
Generation K would have killed for a a DeGrom, a Harvey year, and the production they’ve gotten from Synder before his arm fell off.
And onto Synder… did anybody ever talk to him about scaling back when he was flapping his mouth about trying to throw harder? He was throwing 98 and trying to hit triple digits in spring training that one year. Somebody needs to take a kid like that aside and straighten him out. Speak their language. Explain that blowing out your elbow or shoulder is going to cost you tens of millions of dollars and that the difference between 89 and 91 on your slider isn’t going to dramatically increase your earning potential.
“Suppose to be good”
Team would be lining up for Thor if he was a FA…. comments like this are ridiculous…
Matz isn’t even bad. Teams would love to have him as a 4
Thor is definitely not an example of fizzling out.
I said “fizzled out” or “got hurt”. Mets are either jinxed (Wright, Cespedes, Nimmo etc.) or there is something seriously lacking in the way they condition their players.
Over the years, the Mets are like that old TV show “M*.A*S*H” only without the laugh track.
The Yankees have had very few top of the line ace quality SP prospects over the years. Most notably Brien Taylor who was never the same after a bar fight in the minors. Most of there big time SP prospects they move to the BP Joba. Bentances, and of course Mo. I honestly don’t recall a legitimate ace #1 SP with Yankees that was home grown in the last 30 years besides possibly Pettitte. Cashman is good at finding great players but they can’t seem to develop aces for the rotation.
Happens when you almost never pick at the top of the draft.
The Brien Taylor thing was pretty tragic. The injury that really ended it for him was in a trailer park, trying to help his brother, who, by all accounts, likely would have been killed without the assist.
Should Taylor have watched his brother die to protect his baseball career? Impossible situation, for sure. I think in this day and age, and maybe partly because of Taylor and others like Josh Hamilton, teams are better at insulating their top prospects from some of those elements. At least keeping tabs on them when they’re not in the team’s building.
Al Leiter was a top Yankees SP prospect when, during a rain delayed game in 1989, Dallas Green left him in to throw 162 pitches. Injuries sidelined Leiter until 1993. He later returned as a Marlin to win the WS, and then as the Mets top starter. The Mets enjoyed some of Leiter’s best years and never asked him to throw 162 pitches in a single game.
Different times. Just for laughs, in 1996 pitchers went 125+ pitches 196 times. In 1998 that number spiked to 212. They couldn’t ALL have been Dusty Baker.
And in 1974, Nolan Ryan threw 235 pitches in a game. Just for a point of reference.
Matt Harvey is a poster boy for how arrogance will eventually destroy no matter how talented one is. All professional athletes walk a fine line between arrogance and maximum confidence in their ability. After they achieve a high point, on the field success combined with media glorification, their ego is revealed. Humility will reveal a person who will respect the protocols surrounding their team. Arrogance will set their own protocols, party and skip team functions, and think of themselves as above it all. Along comes a series of injuries which removes the ability and they no longer are able to meet even the basic goals. The media no longer fawns over them and they are soon forgotten.
A very good point. Across town, we had Joba Chamberlain to illustrate the same sort of thing. A guy who bought his own hype VERY VERY quickly.
I always found it hysterical that the debate was whether moving him from the pen to the rotation and back caused all his problems.
He pitched like 30 innings in his debut season, and showed up at camp the next spring out of shape.. When you’re in your early 20’s with less than a season of service time, and you’re already showing up 30 lbs overweight, there’s a problem.
Joba thought he could roll out of bed and dominate. Turns out that when your conditioning isn’t there, you’re more susceptible to injuries that can derail your career.
Also, like Harvey, another guy who LOVED late nights and booze.
Not a Yankee fan but I remember the big deal being made over the “Joba rules” that first year.
I remember some Yankees fans saying that Chamberlain, Kennedy, and Hughes were the next Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. And when people laughed at them and disagreed, they acknowledged that they were wrong, because none of the three were left-handed like Glavine.
Yeah, that was the only difference.
Got Joba?
It’s a double-edged sword here, really.
On one hand, the Mets don’t have the best history of handling injuries. From the drama with Beltran’s knee to David Wright’s back. Pushing guys to play through things that probably could have healed properly with 2 weeks to a month of rest, that later turned into significant injuries. Reyes playing on a pulled hammy that he tore a few days later that one year.
But on the other hand, with Harvey, they tried to be careful. They pushed in the spring for a 6-man rotation to limit him. Boras flipped. Around the all-star break, they floated the idea of skipping him a couple of starts to give him a break and hold down the innings, since they were in playoff position. Again, Boras flipped out and shredded them in the media because he was worried about losing a million dollars in arbitration that year.
And then, if you recall, when the post-season rolled around, Boras was screaming that Harvey was at his limit and wasn’t allowed to pitch!!! Before eventually backing down because… IT WAS THE PLAYOFFS!!
If Harvey’s problems were the result of the workload the year of his TJS-return, the blame really does lie MAINLY with Scott Boras. He maximized Harvey’s earning for the year, but surely cost the guy a hundred million dollars in the long run.
But to be fair, Harvey later needed the TOS, which probably points to a bigger issue that nobody was even aware of prior to it. Harvey might have just been doomed from the start.
Yes, Boras was a serious PITA with the innings limit that year. And let’s not forget that his ultimate meltdown in the WS was because he insisted on coming out for that last inning.
Mets ended 2 careers with 1 trade
Mesoraco? His career was pretty much dead with the Reds before he was traded, wasn’t it? He played more with the Mets than he would had he not been traded. And he started out pretty well with the Mets before reverting to his previous level.
Actually, all three Degrom, Wheeler and Thor were considerably better throwing to Mesoraco then they were this past current season. And outspoken about how they like throwing to him.
Another one of BVW boneheaded moves was not signing meseroco for a million and then ultimately paying d’Arnaud 3 million to cut him
Harvey got what he deserved cuz he was ungrateful and arrogant leaving a turn around situation in Cincinnati. If I was in a position where my career had become gloomy and all of a sudden I get traded to a team and things start clicking, my common sense kicks in and tells me to stay there as long as possible and ride it tell you find a groove. Cincinnati traded for him midseason and thought of trading him towards the end but decided to keep him and possibly because they like him. After the season he becomes a free agent and signs with the Angels. Stupid move, do what you can to resign with the Reds. If it was me I would have just stuck in Cincinnati because if it is not broke don’t change it, if you change you’re batting style and you start crushing the ball do you right away change your stance again? No… unless you are cocky enough to believe you are the only reason you have success.
Did the Reds try to re-sign hm?
Reds did the right thing letting him walk he wasn’t a good pitcher at all. They should have dealt him for whatever they could have. You don’t sign guys to long term deals that are replacement level. 11 million here 7 million there. This is the issue for teams like the reds not guys like votto
Maybe the Red Sox could give him a shot. They got nothing to lose.
He’s a clubhouse distraction. think Lackey, Lester, Beckett, and fried chicken only worse.
Yeah Lackey and Lester were major clubhouse distractions on the cubs….
some want to be a rock star. some just want to live like a rock star.
i think Matt got derailed by injury and some obstacles and just didn’t have the dedication and focus to get past it. not saying that he still couldn’t. but my limited observation saw someone more interested in enjoying the good life than overcoming adversity.
i don’t blame or fault him. if i made millions, i might not be so inclined to give 120% either. i wish him luck as he seems like a decent and nice enough guy. obviously with a ton of talent. the road of fame is littered with thousands of unrealized potential cases though.
My fellow Mets fans cry when I say this
Matt Harvey ruined Matt Harvey
Well known throughout baseball that Harvey is a big Cocaine guy. ( for those refusing to believe then research it)
Matt harvey : from dark knight to black cloud
Why is a man named Harvey called “the Dark Knight”? He was more like “Two Face” which was more appropriate for the character name and his career.
Bc at his prime he was far better than any pitcher the marlins currently have.
I had tickets for the game where he was to drunk to appear.. so they had a guy called up named Adam wilk.. he had to take 3 airplanes to get to queens.. no wonder he didnt get out of the 3rd inning..that was brutal..killed whats left of his career…
Let’s gather around and congratulate Matt Harvey on his induction into Mets history so he can be commemorated forever along other greats in Mets history.
Mr. Harvey, welcome to the Mets All Time Bust A Team (because the Mets have enough to fill at least 3 rosters:
C-Steve Chilcott
1B-Ike Davis
2B-Gregg Jefferies
SS-Tim Foli
3B-Butch Huskey
OF-Lastings Milledge, Shawn Abner, Fernando Martinez
SPs-Matt Harvey, David West, Bill Pulsipher, Paul Wilson, Mike Pelfrey
RPs-Aaron Heilman, Doug Sisk
Your so ignorant, you don’t even know what a bust is……
Lewis brinson is a bust…
Harvey isn’t. He was elite and then he got hurt…. do some research before you post
all these players you just listed would be starting for the 2020 marlins.
You realize that you have to be heralded to be a bust, right? Some of the guys on that list were never touted as stars and many of the examples are 30+ years old. Let’s take apart this list:
Chilcott – A true bust. It’s a 56 year old example, but he is an unquestionable bust.
Ike Davis – had a couple of good seasons, had his fair share of injuries. Sure–bust.
Gregg Jeffries – 13 seasons in the majors and amassed 20 WAR. Solid player; not a bust
Tim Foli – Managed to last 15 seasons, was traded away after only two seasons. A 54 year old example, but yes, he’s a bust.
Butch Huskey – drafted in the 7th round. Hung around the majors for seven years. Not a bust.
Milledge, Abner, Martinez – Milledge is a bust. Abner never suited up for the Mets and was traded in a large deal for McReynolds, who played well for the Mets. But sure, bust. Martinez is an insane choice for a bust because he wasn’t even drafted. Again, you cannot be a bust if there aren’t lofty expectations for you.
Harvey – Absolutely not a bust. Was one of the best pitchers in baseball before injuries.
West – A fourth round pick who lasted 10 years in the majors. Not a bust.
Pulsipher – Pitched well as a rookie before injuries. Sure, bust.
Pelfrey – Bust.
Heilman – Bad as a starter, very good as a reliever. Mixed bag.
Sisk – Completely undrafted yet was an incredible reliever who helped the Mets win a World Series in 86. Insane to call him a bust.
So you’ve got a handful of true busts over a nearly 60 year existence. Seems pretty standard.
I’ll add on to this a list of some the Marlins’ first round picks. Let’s see if they have any busts:
Marc Valdes, Josh Booty, Jaime Jones, Aaron Akin, Chip Ambres, Jeremy Heredia, Jeffrey Allison, Aaron Thompson, Jacob Marceaux, Ryan Tucker, Brett Sinkbeil, Matt Dominguez, Kyle Skipworth, Chad James, Colin Moran, Matt Krook. Blake Anderson, Josh Naylor.
What a list of stars.
Every team has enough to fill 3 rosters. Some teams can field 100 rosters
If Brinson is a bust Brewers basically stole Yelich from Miami. Hate to say it Jeter not doing a great job dealing Yelich and Stanton for nothing.