Former Mets Ace Matt Harvey Announces Retirement

Former Mets ace Matt Harvey has announced his retirement from baseball.

The Dark Knight retires.

On Friday morning, former Mets ace Matt Harvey took to Instagram to announce his retirement from baseball. 

Harvey wrote via Instagram:

"To the fans, and most importantly the NY Mets fans: You made a dream come true for me. A dream I never could have thought to be true for me. Who would have thought a kid from Mystic, CT would be able to play in the greatest city in the world, his hometown. You are forever embedded in my heart.

"Goodbye, Baseball. And thank you."

The Mets selected him No. 7 overall in the 2010 MLB Draft. He pitched for New York from 2012-2018.

Harvey is best known for bursting onto the scene with the Mets in 2013 by emerging as one of the best pitchers in the sport. This earned him the nod to be the All-Star Game starter for the National League at Citi Field that season.

Fans gave him the nickname "The Dark Knight" after Batman, and became so charged up about when he would pitch they would call it "Harvey Day."

His magical 2013 campaign came to an abrupt end when it was discovered he needed Tommy John surgery.

Harvey missed all of 2014 while recovering from TJ, but returned in 2015 and was once again an ace for the Mets.

Harvey had a strong bounce-back season in '15, which he won NL Comeback Player of the Year and helped lead the Mets to the World Series. He notoriously hurled eight shutout innings in Game 5 of the World Series, and was allowed to go back out for the ninth inning. However, he let the Royals tie the game before being pulled. The Mets would ultimately lose the game and were eliminated.

After 2015, Harvey's career went off track due to injuries. He struggled mightily in 2016 before undergoing surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. 

Harvey was never able to get back to ace-like form and the Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds in the beginning of the 2018 season.

Prior to retiring this morning, Harvey pitched for the Los Angeles Angels (2019), Kansas City Royals (2020) and Baltimore Orioles (2021). He also pitched for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

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