Progression of Matt Harvey is something to keep fans tuned in

I don’t think I need to remind anyone here about the tumultuous state that the Mets currently find themselves in. Clearly, I don’t have to tell you they have dropped 12 out of their last 13 games.

Obviously, Mets’ fans are at the end of their rope and almost all have thrown in the towel and bemoaning how a great story fizzled with such a devastating crash and burn.

Oh, but there is always hope, isn’t there?

While most Mets’ fans are an inconsolable and cantankerous group at this moment, they should at least be excited about the prospects of Matt Harvey for the rest of the season.

The Harvey watch begins tonight as one of the Mets’ brightest pitching hopes will finally take the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks. We will finally see what he is really made of and if he can at least pump some life into this lifeless club.

At this point, no is expecting Harvey to be any kind of savior and take the Mets to another level, as that shipped has sailed. So, in essence this a great time for Harvey to make his debut, as the expectations and pressure for him to make a great first impression will be lessened.

Although Harvey got rocked in his last start in Buffalo, he has put up some solid numbers down there as he went 7-5 with a respectable 3.68 ERA and a 9.2 SO/9 ratio. An argument could be made that Harvey may have needed some more seasoning, but the Mets find themselves in a bind after recently losing Johan Santana and Dillon Gee from the rotation with injuries. With Miguel Batista mercifully being released and other options being not so enticing (Chris Schwinden), it was time for Harvey to be given his shot.

With the Mets spiraling out of control, Harvey can just go about his business in a calm, peaceful manner. Pitching on the road will also be beneficial, as he won’t have to worry about all the media hype in New York surrounding his start.

If Harvey underperforms, so what? It’s not like anyone else is lighting the world on fire.

With that being the backdrop to Harvey’s initiation to the major leagues, Harvey will have less pressure put on him and if he flounders, we can at least pin it on the fact that he may have been rushed. If that happens, OK, just learn from it, make adjustments and be ready for a more meaningful impact in 2013.

However, what if he does well?

While the thought of making the playoffs would still be far-fetched (if not dead), if Harvey does his job well he can at least revitalize a struggling staff and bring hope to an aggravated fanbase.

Hope will be the theme for the rest of the 2012 season, and with Harvey finally getting the call, that’s about all we can rest our hats on now.

And before you know it, Zack Wheeler could be called up in September too, giving us even more hope.

It all starts with Harvey, though, and he at least gives us a reason to tune in these days.

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