Former Mets All-Star Matt Harvey Announces His Retirement

Earlier today, former Mets right-hander Matt Harvey announced via his personal Instagram that he was retiring from baseball, hanging up his cleats after spending over 11 years in professional baseball and parts of nine seasons at the big league level.

Drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft, Harvey made quick work in the Minor Leagues, skyrocketing through the farm system and later making his MLB debut on July 26^th against the Arizona Diamondbacks, going 5 1/3 with three hits allowed, 11 strikeouts, and three free passes on route to zero earned runs and his first Major League win.

Over the course of six seasons with the Mets, Harvey would amass a 3.66 ERA through 109 outings with a 1.192 WHIP and a 8.6 K/9. He earned All-Star honors in 2013, while also helping the Mets postseason run in 2015, where he made four starts and allowing just nine earned runs through 26 2/3 innings on the mound.

New York would eventually lose to the Kansas City Royals in the World Series, with Harvey started the deciding Game 5. Harvey carried a shutout into the ninth inning, but ultimately allowed two runs that forced the game into extras, where the Mets lost in the 12th inning.

From 2016 to 2018, Harvey began to struggle on the mound and to stay healthy and was later moved to the bullpen early into the 2018 campaign before being designated for assignment in May. With enough service time, Harvey refused the assignment and was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Devin Mesoraco and cash, where he finished the campaign posting a 4.50 ERA through 24 starts.

Following his one season with the Reds, Harvey would go on to sign with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics (MiLB deal), Kansas City Royals, and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Orioles being the last team he would suit up for on the big league stage back in 2021.

For the 2022 season, the former Mets starter re-signed with the Orioles on a MiLB deal but on May 17^th, the right-hander was handed a 60-day game suspension for distributing a prohibited drug of abuse in relation to his testimony on former teammate Tyler Skaggs death.

Matt Harvey has announced his retirement from baseball on Instagram pic.twitter.com/tnEgHNekH9

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 5, 2023

Harvey recently suited up for Team Italy at the World Baseball Classic, making two starts and allowing just one earned run through seven innings while striking out three batters and holding opponents to a .167 average, as Italy would eventually fall to Japan in the quarterfinals.

Harvey retires with a 4.42 ERA through 180 appearances (172 starts) across 966 1/3 innings while earning a 3.96 FIP, a 1.286 WHIP, a 2.6 BB/9, and an 8.1 K/9. Through a short period of time, Harvey was one of the most dominant starters in the game, but unfortunately injuries marred what could have been a much more successful career, as Harvey retires at 34 years old.