On a night where threats of thunderstorms peered over from the sky, another storm began to brew on the mound of PNC Park. On the mound for the Mets, an embattled Matt Harvey, who’s off the field issues and lack of on the field performance has caught much criticism from not only the New York media, but baseball writers nationwide. Even during the game, Harvey was unable to escape criticism for the way he received the ball from catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Finally Harvey told himself enough was enough. With one out and two runners in scoring position, he let the thunder roll. Harvey proceeded to strike out Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer, followed by an excited fist pump. He pitched with an anger last night, and it needs to be done every start in order to be successful.

It goes without saying that the starting rotation of the Mets has not lived up to nearly half of what is was expected to do this season. With the exception of Jacob deGrom, it was a normality to see starters not even make it to the sixth inning. Whether it be high pitch counts or the inability to deceive hitters, the Mets staff has just been absolutely decimated by weak performances and injuries. With Noah Syndergaard, Seth Lugo, and Steven Matz sidelined, the Mets were really counting on the likes of Harvey and deGrom to be able to produce quality starts. deGrom has held his own, pitching to a 4-1 record with a 3.23 ERA and 86 strikeouts. Harvey on the other hand has struggled, and needed a break out performance to right the ship. His pitching performance against the Pirates Sunday night could and should be that break out.

For starters, his stat line was very pretty. Harvey threw six innings, allowing just one earned run off of a Gregory Polanco home run in the second inning. He struck out four and walked two, and lowered his ERA on the season to 4.83. This start was about much more than the statistics though. Throughout the game, Harvey was as involved and interested as he had been all season. He was excited when his players made the plays, upset when he didn’t get a call from an umpire. There was a fire in his belly, and that is exactly what was needed from him. I look back to the catch made by Jay Bruce to end the sixth and final inning if Harvey’s start. After showing Bruce laying out for the catch, ESPN panned over to Harvey, who had a steel look of grit and determination about him. Is this Harvey’s turning point in the season?

At 21-27, the Mets are at an interesting juncture of the season. They need to start winning ball games quickly, or else they will be way out of playoff contention. The offense has not been the problem this season, as they average 5.12 runs per game. Their biggest issue is their pitching, which has a team ERA of 4.93, the worst in the league. If Harvey can emerge and pitch with a determination to his starts, expect things to change for the Mets. I liked seeing angry Harvey, and I hope he comes out for the rest of the season to win ball games for the Mets.

9 comments on “Mets need an angry Matt Harvey

  • Jimmy P

    It’s hard to swagger when you’re not feeling it.

    I believe this all comes down to health.

    He needs to take the ball every fifth game all season long. He’ll improve over the course of the season and, if he stays healthy, he’ll be prepped for a very positive 2018.

    (Same for Wheeler, who is still fighting health issues, still struggling to get past 90 pitches, still fatigued.)

    I heard an informed friend say how the Mets needed to “get rid of Harvey” this winter.

    I don’t think so, and I certainly don’t ascribe to those terms. If there’s a great deal out there for an every player, yes, a starting pitcher not named Noah or Jake can be spared. God knows the farm system desperately needs some talent. But I’m still concerned about the Mets potentially selling too low.

    One possibility that we have to consider is that we — collectively — were a year off in regard to this starting staff. Matt and Zack not all the way back. Matz, who knows. Gsellman still an unproven rookie.

    So when it comes to trading Matt Harvey, it’s all about the return — not that we have to unload this bad apple. And when we consider the “return,” a possible 2018 WS Championship has to enter into our thinking. We might miss him when he’s gone.

    For now, the Mets need to somehow battle back to .500. Hang around. Get healthy. Get hot in August and September. Matt Harvey could be a big part of that turnaround.

    I don’t see his failings as a mental issue or a flawed character trait. It’s always been about health.

    Wouldn’t it be something if, come Game 163, Matt turns out to be the best guy to throw that WC game? It’s not impossible.

    We are ultimately talking about baseball in May. Such a long, long way to go.

    • Dalton Allison

      It would be an amazing story if Harvey went for that game. I just hope we get to that point first.

  • Edwin E Pena

    Sure, they need an ‘Angry Harvey’ to pitch well from now until the all star break, then to trade his ‘Diva A$$’ as soon as the Mets can get a good offer, say a prospect SP, a ready now reliever, and maybe a prospect C as well.
    If Mets are say, 5 games out by the all star break, they at least have a chance if Cespedes returns strong, Thor and Familia return in late Aug / Sept.
    Harvey is all about Harvey, and he will leave the Mets after 2018 anyway, too much drama and baggage, and he has Boras as an agent, so Mets need to be smart and get something for him this year.

  • Brian Joura

    I like having Matt Harvey on the Mets.

    It’s hard to grow up in public and we’ve seen Harvey struggle with that some. And it’s never a given how a pitcher will come back from injury. And I don’t think the Mets have necessarily helped him 100 percent, either.

    But I believe he’ll be a big asset for the club in 2017. And I look forward to seeing him with the club for a long time after that.

  • Mike Koehler

    Chip on his shoulder is nice, command is essential. If that’s back, he has the stuff to get outs even without his flamethrower.

  • Metsense

    It is unrealistic that after two surgeries that Harvey was going to immediately pitch like he used to. It is likely it will be a bumpy ride.The Mets need Harvey if they are going to turn this season around and I hope he can pull through. In 2017 I would not trade Harvey but over the winter is another story. The Mets will only control him for one more season and it appears unlikely that he would sign an extension before he reaches free agency. The choice would be either one more year of Harvey or six years of control of a high grade prospect or two. I would choose the prospect or two.

    • Jimmy P

      That would be a decision that would hurt the team’s chances in 2018.

      I’d be willing to trade pitching for the right position player who can help right now, but given the way the team is built, I would not want to undercut the team’s ability to compete in the short-term.

      I always go back to: The Mets have won two WS championships. We love and revere those teams. When you’ve got a shot at it, you’ve got to go for it. There have been many, many years when we haven’t had a prayer. Not ready to jump back into stockpiling mode.

      • Dalton Allison

        Maybe not necessarily trade Harvey until the offseason, because who knows what this team will do when 100% healthy, if they get to that point.

  • Matt Netter

    Harvey is “healthy” but not right. He’s struggling to adjust. His arm angle is a little different and it’s been affecting his pitches. He’s been studying film and trying make the necessary adjustments. He’s showing progress. Right now he doesn’t have his old slider and his fastball, while it has the velocity, is missing the old bite He doesn’t have a great out pitch. A lot of 0-2 counts where he can’t put the guy away. It’s coming. The Dark Knight will rise again this summer and be a big part of the pennant push.

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