One of the most enigmatic players in baseball, starting pitcher Matt Harvey is a talented athlete whose career has been somewhat marred by injuries and off the field issues. As a highly coveted pitcher coming out of college, Harvey showed immense promise given his arm strength and passion for the game of baseball. Although his career has not been perfect, Harvey has the tenacity to persevere despite his inconsistencies on and off the mound. Given Harvey’s unique career trajectory, the question becomes how much is the well-known starting pitcher actually worth?
Matt Harvey’s Net Worth as of 2017: $12.7 Million
How did the Mets’ starting pitcher get there? And how has his compelling career allowed him to obtain this type of wealth? Let’s take a closer look.
2012 – 2015
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – MARCH 05: Matt Harvey #70 of the New York Mets pitches during a preseason game against the Washington Nationals at Digital Domain Park on March 5, 2012 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)
The 2010 seventh overall pick by the New York Mets, Harvey began his professional career in the minors during the 2011 season. After working his way through the single A, double A, and triple A minor league affiliates of the Mets, Harvey was initially held back from a major league promotion as the Mets front office wanted the young pitcher to work on his control and consistency. However, after an injury to Mets ace Johan Santana, manager Terry Collins decided to give the raw but talented starting pitcher a chance.
His major league debut on July 26, 2012, proved to be very impressive as Harvey gave up just three hits and struck out 11 batters over 5.1 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite the initial concerns about Harvey’s consistency issues, his major league debut was a promising sign of things to come for the insanely strong pitcher. His effectiveness on the mound translated well to the plate as Harvey batted .462 with two doubles and three RBIs over his first 15 at-bats. Harvey’s first season in the majors was sensational, as the starter posted a 2.73 ERA over 10 starts.
Harvey carried over his successes from last year into the 2013 season and began garnering favorable attention from pundits and players alike. In the month of April alone, Harvey posted a 1.56 ERA and 46 strikeouts to go along with a .153 opposing batting average. His impressive consistency and dominance earned Harvey the starting pitcher bid for the 2013 All-Star game. However, by the end of August, Harvey was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Despite missing the last month of the season, Harvey finished fourth for the NL Cy Young Award and posted a 2.27 ERA on the season.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery during the offseason, Harvey was determined to come back at some point during the 2014 regular season. However, given the fact that the Mets were out of playoff contention toward the end of the season, Harvey was held out for the rest of the year to avoid setbacks with his rehab.
Although Harvey was disappointed with his absence in 2014, he came back in 2015 more determined than ever to pick up where he left off. On April 9 against the Washington Nationals, Harvey allowed no runs over six innings while striking out nine batters. Although there were lingering concerns throughout the season over Harvey’s innings pitched count, the toughness of the starting pitcher won out and he pitched throughout the duration of the postseason. While Harvey and the Mets eventually lost to the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series, the Mets success was due in part to Harvey’s dominant fastball and overall consistency on the mound.
He reportedly earned $614,125 in 2015.
2016 – Present
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 19: Pitcher Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets reacts after giving an RBI triple to Ben Revere #9 of the Washington Nationals during the third inning of a game at Citi Field on May 19, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Coming off a devastating World Series loss, Harvey lost his first two starts in 2016. Throughout the season, Harvey struggled to strikeout batters and gave up more hits than usual on a game-to-game basis. It was believed that Harvey’s regression was due in part to his drop in pitching velocity and overall lack of command. After starting the season with a dismal 4-10 record, Harvey was placed on the 15-day DL with shoulder pain. Ultimately, Harvey opted to have season-ending surgery to resolve a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome.
Although Harvey has had an up and down season statistically in 2017, he has shown moments of being the locked in starter that he was in 2015. However, after being suspended in early May for three games for violating team rules, it has been speculated that Harvey has lost some of his enthusiasm for the game of baseball. His ERA currently stands at 4.95 over 10 games pitched.
Over the course of his career, Harvey has gone from being considered the next Justin Verlander to succumbing to off the field issues and inconsistencies on the mound. Two years ago, Harvey appeared to be the crux of the Mets starting rotation and had the command of a Cy Young pitcher. However, in 2017, Harvey appears to be a shell of his former self as his confidence in his pitches has dropped dramatically and his lack of motivation to be the best is certainly disconcerting. However, Harvey clearly has the talent to make a comeback and to put himself back on the map as being one of the dominant starting pitchers in baseball. The question is, does Harvey have the mental fortitude and desire to reach the pinnacle of greatness once again?
He reportedly earned $5.1 million in 2017.
