The Mets are heading to the NLCS for the first time since 2015, on the backs of their timely hitting, resiliency and starting pitching.
New York’s rotation was looked at as a weakness for this team when the 2024 season started, especially when ace Kodai Senga was set to miss the start of the year with an injury. But the emergence of David Peterson, Jose Quintana finding his mojo, and the revival of Luis Severino and Sean Manaea has lifted this Mets team to the doorstep of a World Series appearance.
Matt Harvey was on the last Mets team to make the Fall Classic as part of the 2015 squad.
The former ace joined SNY’s Mets Playoffs Live on Thursday to discuss what has made this season’s rotation a success, and if there are any similarities to the staff that Harvey headlined.
“I do and I don’t [see similarities],” Harvey explained. “I think the difference between our team back then and our staff we were all, other than Bartolo [Colon], we were throwing 95-100 to every guy.”
Jacob deGrom led the 2015 team with 205 strikeouts while Harvey (188) and Noah Syndergaard (166) rounded out the Mets’ flamethrowers that season.
In contrast, Manaea (184 strikeouts), Severino (161), Quintana (135) are doing it not necessarily with heat but with mix. But one aspect of the 2024 Mets starting staff Harvey does see similarities to his team is how deep they go in games.
“The similarities with these guys is these guys are going deep into games and keeping the bullpen fresh and that’s important in these games,” he said. “At the end of the season, you want to keep all your guys healthy and everyone is ready to go.”
The Mets starting rotation is averaging 5.29 innings per start this season, helping a revolving door of relievers behind closer Edwin Diaz finish games. And those numbers have continued in the postseason.
In the NLDS against the Phillies, three of the four starters went at least five innings with Senga only going two in his first start since July.
The Mets hope this ragtag group of starters can bring them back to the World Series and Harvey believes they have the right manager in Carlos Mendoza to guide them.
“Pitching is hard enough as it is especially in playoff games,” Harvey said. “If you have a manager who comes out and sees how you feel in the sixth, seventh inning when you’ve had a little trouble and walks back to the dugout and you finish it, it shows your team how much you’re in it, it shows your manager how much he can trust you and leave you in for an extra inning.
“We saw the other night with Manaea. That’s huge for the team.”
In Game 3 of the NLDS, Manaea struggled in the sixth inning but Mendoza came out to talk and settle his starter down. That, and some sparkling defense, helped Manaea get out of the jam and even pitch into the eighth.
While Harvey’s 2015 Mets team couldn’t get capture the organization’s first World Series since 1986, perhaps this year with this staff will be different.
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