Former Mets ace Matt Harvey has not figured it out with the Royals

Former New York Mets ace Matt Harvey’s 2020 comeback with the Kansas City Royals has not gone well.

On August 19, 2020, Matt Harvey made his return to the big leagues as a member of the Kansas City Royals. The former ace of the New York Mets hasn’t been the same since injuries during his time in New York seemed to derail what looked like a legendary career in his future.

Harvey hasn’t given up yet. After stints with several teams, he’s pitching again with the Royals. Sadly, it hasn’t gone so well in his first two starts.

Harvey’s Royals debut included just three innings of work. He served a pair of home runs and left the game with three earned runs across the board. The Royals were shutout by the Cincinnati Reds in a one-hit effort versus Trevor Bauer.

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This wasn’t a one-and-done appearance for Harvey. He stepped onto the mound again on August 25. Unfortunately, things were much better in this game versus the St. Louis Cardinals.

Although the Royals came away with a 5-4 win, Harvey lasted just 2.2 frames. He gave up four earned runs. All of them came in the third inning with two outs.

Through a pair of starts, Harvey is 0-1 and staring at an ERA of 11.12. It has been far from pretty. Watching from afar, I’m still wondering why Harvey has done what feels obvious: move to the bullpen.

Pitching in relief is what helped drive Harvey out of a Mets uniform. When the Mets attempted this back in 2018, it pretty much ended his tenure in Flushing. He was traded soon after and the three teams he has pitched for since have yet to give him a single relief appearance.

Harvey was average with the Reds in 2018, going 7-7 with 4.50 ERA in 24 starts. He wasn’t able to carry the success into 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels. While there, Harvey made 12 starts. His record was 3-5 and his ERA ballooned to 7.09.

It is frustrating to watch Harvey struggle so badly without any attempt to convert him into a one-inning man. Whether it’s his own stubbornness or belief he can give them more as a starter is unknown.

Amazingly, Harvey is still just 31-years-old. He could pitch for another half-decade easily as long as his body holds up. This season’s performance, however, may be the end of the line unless something drastic changes. I believe it’s how he’s used.

This offseason, when Harvey is looking for yet another job, I think humility needs to win out. As a reliever, he can reinvent his career and play the game for many more years.

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As a starting pitcher, he’s going to become the journeyman with a new club every year and an ERA constantly on the rise. Eventually, those opportunities will run out.