Former starting pitcher Matt Harvey has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Instagram at 34 years old.
Harvey started his goodbye message by describing one of his favorite games as a member of the New York Mets, on April 19, 2013, when he outdueled the Nationals Stephen Strasburg in New York and Mets fans cheered “Harvey’s Better.” Harvey allowed just one run over seven innings as the Mets beat the Nationals 7–1.
Harvey was once a bright young star for the Mets. He went by the moniker “Dark Knight.” He arrived in New York as one of the Mets top prospects in 2012 and took the city by storm, with an ERA under 2.50 in his first 36 starts.
Harvey became a hero for Mets fans with a flame-throwing arm and an unflinching confidence. The term “Harvey Day” was coined to capture the excitement around the days he was starting.
At one point, Harvey was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball for a stretch with the Mets, making an All-Star appearance in 2013.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entirety of the 2014 season, Harvey had a strong return in 2015, helping lead the Mets to a World Series berth.
Harvey needed surgery again for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2017 and was not the same pitcher afterwards. The Mets traded him early in the 2018 season to the Reds.
After unsuccessful stints with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles, Harvey, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2021, decided it was time to call it a career on Friday morning.
Former Mets pitcher Matt Harvey. Photo courtsey of Erik S. Lesser/EPA, via Shutterstock
