Boston Red Sox should target pitchers from New York Mets deep rotation
By Sean Penney
Jul 31, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey (33) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Harvey
Matt Harvey became an instant sensation in New York two years ago, making the All-Star team in his first full season and finishing 4th in Cy Young voting. He then had his entire 2014 season wiped out due to Tommy John surgery, but the Dark Knight of Gotham has returned with a vengeance this year.
The 26-year old is 6th in the NL with a 2.48 ERA, his 0.99 WHIP is 7th and he’s tied with his teammate for 5th with a 4.3 WAR. It appears his recovery has gone according to plan, as he has regained the pre-injury velocity on his fastball, which averages just over 95 MPH with good movement.
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Harvey befuddles hitters with a knee-buckling curve that ranks 9th in the majors at 4.6 wCU. He also possesses an above-average slider (3.3 wSL) and changeup (1.7 wCH).
While he hasn’t quite gotten back to the form he was at prior to going under the knife, he has still been one of the league’s best pitchers this season. The further he distances himself from the surgery, the more dominant he will become.
Harvey may have the highest upside of anyone in this rotation, but he’ll also be arbitration eligible next year and can hit free agency in 2019. If the Mets were inclined to trade any of the studs on their staff, Harvey may be the one they are most willing to part with because he’ll start to get more expensive sooner than the others. The Mets don’t operate like your typical large market team, so given their pitching depth, they may be inclined to move Harvey for several pieces that they can keep under team control for longer.
Next: Noah Syndergaard