Steve Serby of the NY Post asked David Wright to describe how Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard compare to rehabbing ace Matt Harvey.
“It’s kinda like comparing apples to oranges,” Wright said. “The thing about Harvey is that he can blow you away with a 97 mph fastball, but also, he gets 2-0 in the count, he can drop the slider, an offspeed there for a strike when you’re not expecting it. That’s kinda what separates him — Harvey — from everybody else.”
When asked whether he’d need to step in and caution Harvey about rushing back this season, Wright was very diplomatic.
“Matt’s smart enough to know what’s at stake, both for him personally and us as a team. You want that competitive spirit for him to do whatever he can to get back. At the same time, he’s gonna have to lean on our rehab guys and our physical therapists to make sure that you pump the brakes every now and then.”
“You want the competitive side to try to make it a challenge and to try to progress, but you have to do it the right way, the smart way, and I think that we have plenty of people surrounding Matt that are gonna help him get to that conclusion.”
Finally, when asked what his message was to Mets fans as we venture into a new season, here’s what the captain had to say:
“I’m in the same boat as you. I’m one of you. It’s been very difficult. Obviously, being responsible for some of the bad seasons that we’ve had these last few years. And as a baseball fan, as a player that has this connection for this organization and to these fans, I feel you.”
“I want to do everything in my power to give them a team that they feel proud of,” Wright said about the fans. “I feel like that’s my responsibility, and that’s something that I want to give to these fans that have been with us through thick and thin.”
