The 'Dark Knight' Begins: Mets Name Harvey As Opening Day Starter
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Mets will have an ace on the mound on Opening Day.
The only mystery had been which one. Now we know. It will be Matt Harvey.
"Terry (Collins) could have announced anybody," Harvey said Thursday after his manager revealed that hard-throwing right-hander will take the ball against the defending World Series champion Royals on April 3 in Kansas City. "So for me getting the nod it's a huge honor. I think it's all about how we start and come out and I definitely feel a year after (Tommy John) surgery, I'm definitely 100 percent."
Harvey seemed the logical choice, though some speculated Collins would give the ball to Jacob deGrom. But with deGrom's wife expected to give birth to the couple's first child around the time of the opener, Collins' decision was made easier, though it seems he had Harvey penciled in for the start all along.
"Matt's the guy, deservedly so in my opinion," Collins said. "I just thought the way he finished last year, the way he's throwing the ball right now, Comeback Player of the Year — there's a lot of things that led up to it. Jake (deGrom) was certainly in consideration along with everybody really but maybe (Steven Matz), but we knew if there was any question at all he could have been the guy. We just thought a lot of the situations we're facing, Matt would be the guy."
Now in his fifth season with the Mets -- he missed all of 2014 due to reconstructive elbow surgery -- Harvey will be making his first Opening Day start. The last time he pitched was in Game 5 of last year's World Series, a game he dominated for eight innings before faltering.
Staked to a two-run lead, Harvey successfully lobbied Collins to start the ninth, but the Royals rallied to tie the game before winning it with five runs in the 12th on their way to the first world championship since 1985.
"It's kind of interesting how the schedule worked out ... It's going to be great atmosphere obviously going into Kansas City and playing against them," Harvey said. "It's going to bring back a lot of memories, but it's also going to bring back a lot of fire."
Harvey went 13-9 with a 2.71 ERA in 29 starts last season, and is 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA in 65 starts in his career. He signed a one-year, $4.33 million contract during the offseason.
