End of an E.R.A. – The rise and fall of three Mets pitchers

Things looked exceptionally bright for the New York Mets in 2015. After eight straight seasons without making the playoffs, the team won 90 games that year and stormed their way to the World Series. 

And while they would lose to the Kansas City Royals, this was only going to be the beginning for a young team with three fantastic pitchers.

It didn’t exactly turn out that way, as Mets fans know all too well. Now with Noah Syndergaard being designated for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians, we can take a bittersweet look back at that staff and what could’ve been.

While Jacob deGrom would eventually become the ace, in 2015, that role was played by Matt Harvey. After a couple of promising years, “The Dark Knight of Gotham” would have a breakout season, going 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA. 

He went 2-0 in the playoffs before the infamous Game 5 against the Royals. Not only did the Mets lose the game and the series, Harvey pretty much lost his career that night. Instead of Batman, he was really much more like Two-Face. Check out his win-loss totals:

2012-15: 25-18

2016-21: 25-48

After an ugly breakup with the Mets, stints with several other teams and an even uglier situation regarding distributing drugs to a teammate who later died, Harvey announced his retirement earlier this year.

Second-year pitcher deGrom had an even better 2015 than Harvey. He went 14-8 with a 2.55 ERA in the regular season and compiled a 3-1 postseason record. 

For the next seven years with the Mets, the “deGrominator” put up Hall-of-Fame numbers, but he could never stay healthy. The Mets decided not to sign him in the offseason, a decision that ended up looking very smart after it was revealed that he would need another Tommy John surgery. At age 35, it seems clear that deGrom’s better days are long behind him.

Then there was Syndergaard. 2015 was his rookie season, and he posted a 9-7 mark with a 3.24 ERA. Over the next four seasons, “Thor” went 38-23 with a 3.22 ERA, and it looked like the Mets might have another future Hall of Famer.

But, just like deGrom, he couldn’t stay healthy, and the Mets eventually let him walk as a free agent. While he’ll almost certainly show up on somebody’s roster, Syndergaard most likely will never be able to recapture his past glory.

If there’s a lesson to be learned from this tale of Mets pitching woes, it’s this: Fans shouldn’t take anything for granted. A great season by a player or team may never be duplicated, so it’s important to appreciate it when it happens.

Another moral of the story? Don’t give your pitchers dumb nicknames.