Mets: A few of the best “pitchers who rake” moments in franchise history

Mets pitchers who raked: Steven Matz’s memorable debut in 2015

The Mets traded longtime team member Steven Matz to the Toronto Blue Jays on January 27, 2021, in exchange for three minor league pitchers. It was the end of an era for Matz in New York. He grew up on Long Island and was their second round draft pick out of Ward Melville High School in 2009. From there, Matz had some solid seasons, a few injury-riddled ones, and several disappointing stretches.

Unfortunately for Matz, his best start ever (besides his shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019) might have been his major league debut on June 28, 2015, against the Cincinnati Reds. It was a home game on a warm afternoon. Many of Matz’s family and friends were there, including his grandfather who quickly went viral in Metsland as “Grandpa Matz” with his enthusiastic reactions to Matz’s heroics.

Matz pitched very well in his debut, fully living up to his “early round draftee” hype. He tossed 7.2 innings of two-run ball, struck out six batters, and earned the victory. However, his debut is really more memorable for what he did with the bat. Matz went 3-3 at the plate and drove in four runs, accounting for all the runs the Mets needed to win by himself.

With that outstanding offensive performance, Matz became the first player ever in Mets history to drive in four runs in his big league debut. That’s including both position players and pitchers. He was also the first pitcher in all of MLB to have three hits in his major league debut in nearly 15 years, and the first Mets pitcher to drive in four runs in a game since Dwight Gooden did it in 1990.

Over his entire Mets career, Matz hit .172, which is average to above-average for MLB pitchers. His bat peaked in his rookie season, when he hit .286 for the year, but he never again had as unforgettable an offensive performance as in his debut.