New York Mets: Matt Harvey seemed to always beat up these ten batters

Through the highs and lows during his New York Mets tenure, Matt Harvey almost always pitched well against these ten batters.

New York Mets fans who remember the better days of Matt Harvey won’t be shocked to see how many talented players the Dark Knight defeated regularly. In his better years, Harvey took on his opponents with very little fear.

Up against the National League East opponents regularly, you’ll gladly see plenty of Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals on this list.

Unfortunately, Chase Utley hit him well with a lifetime .333/.429/.556 slash line versus Harvey. Many of Utley’s teammates were not so lucky.

10 – Jimmy Rollins

The longtime Phillies shortstop earns the tenth spot on this list because he did manage to hit above the Mendoza Line when up against Harvey. However, there’s nothing to brag about when you’re hitting only .208 against a pitcher.

Harvey handled Rollins quite well in the 26 face-offs they had. Rollins mustered only five hits in them, tagging Harvey for three home runs overall. When you see a pitcher so often, you’re bound to get the best of him sooner or later as Rollins did twice.

9 – Dansby Swanson

Dansby Swanson may become a star for the Braves in a few years. When he does, he’ll put behind the dark days of facing Harvey as a member of the Mets.

In their 13 battles, Swanson went 1 for 10 with three walks. Harvey only struck him out twice, but still managed to get the former first overall out pick on a regular basis. Not many pitchers will be able to say this in a few years.

8 – Dominic Brown

Quite possibly the most irrelevant name on this list, Dominic Brown was once a top prospect in baseball. He had a few good months with the Phillies before pitchers like Harvey shut him down.

Harvey utterly destroyed Brown. He’s only eighth on this list because of how many other pitchers did well against the left-handed outfielder.

As for the specific numbers, Brown went 0 for 11 with 8 strikeouts versus Harvey. It’s remarkable how he even put the ball in play three times.

7 – Dexter Fowler

One guy who never played for a team in the NL East worthy of making this list is outfielder Dexter Fowler. Despite playing in a different division, these two saw each other plenty.

Through 14 trips to the plate, Fowler went only 2 for 14 when up against Harvey. Fowler’s failure to even draw a walk is yet another bruise on his stat sheet.

6 – Freddie Freeman

Mets fans will love to see this name on any list when discussing negatives. Freddie Freeman went to war with Harvey 31 times. Way more often than not, Harvey won.

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Freeman has a .207 batting average against Harvey. In all of those plate appearances, one might think Freeman would have figured Harvey out at some point. He never did, although five of his six hits against Harvey were for extra-bases.

5 – Martin Prado

Martin Pardo has had a pretty good big league career many baseball fans have overlooked. We can all agree he probably didn’t enjoy facing Harvey often.

Prado went only 3 for 21 with a walk when matched against Harvey. The pitcher’s batting average Prado owns against Harvey during his Mets tenure is surely not one he likes to talk about.

4 – Ryan Howard

In their 23 meetings, Harvey routinely got the best of Phillies slugger Ryan Howard. The “Big Piece” hit .176 against Harvey in his career with a single home run.

Harvey’s lucky he missed Howard’s better days. He got “Ryan Howard Light” which helped him hold him to such poor numbers during his time with the Mets.

3 – Giancarlo Stanton

Before he was with the New York Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton was with the Marlins. When he faced Harvey, he looked a lot less like an MVP.

Stanton went only 3 for 19 against Harvey with 10 strikeouts. He walked only two times, showing Harvey had no fear when up against this powerhouse.

2 – Jayson Werth

Jayson Werth owns more than a giant beard. He also owns the record for most strikeouts in a career against Harvey. In 30 plate appearances, Harvey struck him out 13 times.

During all of those chances, Werth only had one extra-base hit against Harvey; a double. Until they see each other again, which is unlikely at this point, Werth can claim to have only a .192 average against Harvey.

1 – Bryce Harper

Nobody faced Harvey more in his career than Bryce Harper. It would amaze many to learn Harper never hit Harvey well.

Though he took him deep twice, Harper went only 5 for 32 against Harvey in 36 plate appearances. This gives him a lifetime average of .156 against the Dark Knight.

Perhaps Harvey’s future lies as a right-handed specialist against Harper.

Next: Mets trade Matt Harvey to Baseball Siberia

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The takeaway I get from these numbers is that Harvey did very well against some of the NL East’s best hitters over the years. Hopefully, Mets fans can appreciate that aspect of his career with them.

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