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Bleacher Report - Even out of context, the numbers were fine. Matt Harvey finished 2015 with the sixth-lowest ERA in the National League (2.71), with a strikeout an inning. He had 11 starts where he didn't allow an earned run, and three others where he allowed only one.
For a lot of guys, that's a career year. For Harvey, it was Year 1 after Tommy John surgery, a season filled with questions and restrictions and distractions.
Some of them, for sure, were self-imposed. Some of them will always be there.
But as you start thinking about Harvey and 2016, you begin with the idea that some of those questions have already been answered, and most of those restrictions and some of those distractions will go away.
You realize that Harvey had to make history to do what he did in 2015, that he had to outdo what pitchers normally accomplish in the first year post-Tommy John. Normally, it's the second year when you see the true pitcher return.
The early reports out of Florida say Harvey looks stronger, which is hardly a surprise.
As good as he looked last year, he did have some of the first-year-back effect, with somewhat reduced velocity and life.
"To me, Harvey had the best year of all of them last year, if only for the fact he didn't have his electric fastball," Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post this week. "He didn't have his slider for a good part of the year. But he learned how to pitch. With that, that second-gear fastball that he has comes into play this year.
"Right now, he looks in great shape," Warthen added. "That's special."
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Metsblog - I've been hard on RHP Matt Harvey, who looked terrific throwing live batting practice to teammates Friday morning at Tradition Field.
In terms of 'stuff,' his hangover from Tommy John surgery is clearly behind him, as Terry Collins told us after practice.
"Last year, we knew he was healthy when we saw what we saw in September," Collins explained. "I'm seeing stuff now that he didn't have last year. I'm seeing that late life, that last giddy up. I'm seeing better spin on his slider. His stuff is a little bit better this year, and it was pretty good last year."
I mean it's nothing groundbreaking, but to me it's interesting, lol. You never know, sometimes guys show up in camp out of shape, but it sounds like Harvey is in terrific shape and has great zip on all his pitches.
For a lot of guys, that's a career year. For Harvey, it was Year 1 after Tommy John surgery, a season filled with questions and restrictions and distractions.
Some of them, for sure, were self-imposed. Some of them will always be there.
But as you start thinking about Harvey and 2016, you begin with the idea that some of those questions have already been answered, and most of those restrictions and some of those distractions will go away.
You realize that Harvey had to make history to do what he did in 2015, that he had to outdo what pitchers normally accomplish in the first year post-Tommy John. Normally, it's the second year when you see the true pitcher return.
The early reports out of Florida say Harvey looks stronger, which is hardly a surprise.
As good as he looked last year, he did have some of the first-year-back effect, with somewhat reduced velocity and life.
"To me, Harvey had the best year of all of them last year, if only for the fact he didn't have his electric fastball," Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post this week. "He didn't have his slider for a good part of the year. But he learned how to pitch. With that, that second-gear fastball that he has comes into play this year.
"Right now, he looks in great shape," Warthen added. "That's special."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In terms of 'stuff,' his hangover from Tommy John surgery is clearly behind him, as Terry Collins told us after practice.
"Last year, we knew he was healthy when we saw what we saw in September," Collins explained. "I'm seeing stuff now that he didn't have last year. I'm seeing that late life, that last giddy up. I'm seeing better spin on his slider. His stuff is a little bit better this year, and it was pretty good last year."
I mean it's nothing groundbreaking, but to me it's interesting, lol. You never know, sometimes guys show up in camp out of shape, but it sounds like Harvey is in terrific shape and has great zip on all his pitches.
