Much of the New York Mets success in 2017 will rely on the shoulders of their young pitching staff. As their pitching will be under a microscope this coming season, no one pitcher may be analyzed more than the “Dark Knight” himself, Matt Harvey.
Harvey, 27, will be making his second comeback from a major surgery, this time to correct symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. He has full confidence in himself of getting back to being the pitcher he once was.
“I’d like to think so. Obviously I don’t have a crystal ball,” Harvey said. “The way things are feeling now, the way the body feels, I’m feeling great.” (ESPN)
Matt has showcased his journey back over the last couple of weeks on his social media accounts, showing himself throwing smoothly off a mound as he readies for spring training. There may be no bigger year in Harvey’s career than 2017.
Harvey will look to rebuild his stock as he looks to regain his moniker as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. All eyes will be on him this coming year as he tries to prove to the baseball world that no surgery will keep him from being one of the best in the game as he has shown his ability to be.
He will no doubt want his 2016 season to be looked at as nothing but a fluke due to the issues he had due to thoracic outlet syndrome. A year that saw him pitch to a 4-10 record with an ERA of 4.86 and a WHIP of 1.47. These numbers did not represent the pitcher he was.
It is hard to believe that a pitcher of Harvey’s caliber holds a career record of just 29-28 and has made just 82 starts in his young career. He has pitched to an overall ERA of 2.94 with an impressive WHIP of 1.08 while striking out 525 batters in 519.2 innings pitched.
Harvey will have every opportunity to dominate the game he once did so before, with seeming ease. If healthy, 2017 could be the year he reclaims his name as the “Dark Knight of Gotham.”
