Steven Matz regrets that ‘special’ Mets staff didn't thrive
There was a sense of both nostalgia and regret in Steven Matz’s voice as he reminisced about all that could’ve been.
The 32-year-old Matz, in his second season with the Cardinals, returned to his old stomping grounds of Citi Field on Friday night for what became a 6-1 loss to the Mets, in which the left-hander did not pitch. A Long Island native, Matz was drafted in the second round by the Mets in 2009 and came up through the organization before playing the first six years of his MLB career with the team.
The Mets called Matz up to the major league roster ahead of their 2015 World Series run as the last piece of a young, rising rotation that was expected to be among the best in the majors for years to come.
Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler comprised the rest of a now-infamous group, around which so much of the Mets’ championship ambitions revolved, but never materialized.
Those five pitchers, Matz included, have never been farther away from fulfilling early expectations.
Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz Getty Images
“We did have something special there early.” Matz, who has struggled this year, with a 5.49 ERA, and recently was moved from the rotation to the bullpen, told The Post. “You never know what’s gonna happen. I do look back at those times, it was a cool period of my career to be part of that. I did enjoy it while I was there, but now you look back and you’re like, ‘You never know what can happen.’ … Just gotta keep perspective, enjoy every single day.”
Harvey, who retired from baseball this week, never reclaimed the stature he enjoyed early in his career after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. He was designated for assignment by the Mets in 2018 and had brief, unsuccessful stints with the Reds, Angels, Royals and Orioles. Harvey launched a new career as a real estate agent, The Post reported on Thursday.
Seemingly endless injuries plagued the final years of deGrom’s Mets tenure and limited his brilliance before he left in free agency this past offseason to join the Rangers. He was able to make just six starts with Texas, however, before a new elbow injury recently forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, ending his 2023 season and likely his 2024 season.
Syndergaard has struggled ever since he had Tommy John surgery in 2020. His velocity now is a far cry from the consistent triple digits of his early career. Now with the Dodgers, Syndergaard owns a 7.16 ERA this season and said this week, while choking back tears, that he’d “give my hypothetical first-born to be the old me again.”
Wheeler’s career is currently the healthiest, as he has emerged as the ace of the Phillies’ staff since signing with the team in 2020.
The Mets traded Matz to the Blue Jays ahead of the 2020 season, and he signed with the Cardinals as a free agent ahead of the 2021 season, much to the annoyance of Mets owner Steve Cohen.
Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler walk on the field during Mets spring training in 2018. Anthony J. Causi for the NY Post
Matz said he’s still close with everyone on that Mets staff, particularly deGrom.
“Maybe what could’ve happened if all our careers panned out the way we wanted them to,” Matz said. “We did have something special there early, but it didn’t go the way a lot of us had planned.”
But Matz can relate as his former team struggles to match gaudy expectations prompted to a record-breaking payroll.
“It’s hard here. The media, you hear it, it’s hard to escape it,” Matz said. “It’s a great place to win, but it’s also the hardest place to struggle, in my opinion. Everybody knows, New York is a different beast.”
Source: New York Post
