New York Mets Opening Day Rumors: Matt Harvey Gets the Nod as Starter
The New York Mets are all set and ready to go. After the team took a day off in spring training, news came in that Matt Harvey will be the Opening Day starter. The announcement was made by manager Terry Collins, and Harvey will be taking on the Kansas City Royals on April 3.
The opportunity to start against the reigning champs is some sort of redemption for Harvey, who actually lost Games 1 and 5 as a starter during last year's World Series. Although both games went to extra innings, every pitcher knows it's on them when their team loses.
But Harvey isn't complaining. "Terry could have announced anybody," he told the Associated Press. "So for me getting the nod, it's a huge honor," the right-hander said. For Collins, Harvey deserves the chance simply because he finished strong last season. "Matt's the guy, deservedly so, in my opinion," he said.
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Jacob deGrom was another contender for the starting job but Collins revealed his wife is expected to give birth on the first week of April, which means it wasn't really a tough call as to who between Harvey and deGrom would get it.
If the 26-year old Harvey is able to pull through a successful season this year, the talk of him losing his edge after a Tommy John surgery back in 2014 will finally disappear. However, the team's decision to give him the starting nod will certainly be scrutinized if he fails to deliver on Opening Day. To recall, he came in like a house on fire in Game 5 of the World Series after shutting out Kansas City in the first eight innings. However, he was pulled at the top of the ninth inning after giving up a double. That gave the Royals the chance to extend the game to extra innings, and the rest is history.
