New York Mets Should Learn from Baltimore Orioles
The New York Mets have a chance to learn something from the Baltimore Orioles. It’s about how to handle pitchers who are returning from season-ending surgery.
Matt Harvey has endured two injuries that required season-ending surgery. Some would say these injuries also ended the season for the New York Mets. We all know about the controversy surrounding Harvey’s return last year from Tommy John and whether or not he was overextended.
Now, it may be time for the Mets to consider learning something from the Baltimore Orioles, who successfully nursed Dylan Bundy back from major injuries before finally turning him loose on the American League two months ago. As a result, Bundy is rapidly becoming the pitcher everyone said he was.
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Harvey’s most recent injury began to develop this year in spring training when he discovered that he had little or no feeling in his fingertips. For pitchers, in particular, this can and ultimately did spell disaster for Harvey because pitching is all about “feeling” the baseball.
With all the expectations thrust on the Mets, Harvey and the condition he experienced that didn’t necessarily “hurt”, he forged on from one disaster to another until finally, everyone said, “No Mas”.
In all likelihood, Harvey will be back to start the 2017 season. He’ll also be the opening day starter for the New York Mets. And that’s precisely where the Orioles come into the picture.
Similar to Harvey, Bundy has been the Orioles No. 1 prospect since 2013. Due to injuries, however, he only managed 1.2 innings pitched in a Orioles uniform prior to this year. But, here’s what they did with Bundy in spring training as a last gasp attempt to keep him on the team and salvage a career that was self-destructing.
The plan was simple. It called for Bundy to throw 80 innings out of the bullpen. Following that, assuming he stayed healthy, he would move to the starting rotation midway through the season.
Over 38 innings (not the 80 as planned), Bundy had off-and-on success out of the bullpen over 22 appearances. In between, he threw bullpens that further developed arm strength. He also used that time to add a changeup to his arsenal. In mid-July, Bundy made his first start of the season. The formula worked. Monday night, he allowed only three hits over six strong innings in beating the Nationals for his seventh win of the season. More importantly, he threw a season-high 94 pitches.
He’s healthy and there haven’t been any setbacks. It’s helped that Bundy wholeheartedly bought into the plan developed by baseball’s underrated genius, Buck Showalter.
With Harvey, who has a history of insisting things be done his way, the Mets might have to put their foot down. For all his bravado, the last thing Harvey needs is a repeat of this year’s confidence shaking starts in which he gets lit up before his season gets off the ground.
The Mets should seriously consider adopting a similar plan for next spring and early summer. Because you have to figure that Harvey has yet to have the chance that Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard had to stretch his arm out following last year’s 220 innings.
So, getting the engines up and running at full bore next year will be crucial to a successful and healthy comeback for Harvey. And for the success of the team, the Mets need nothing less than Harvey being out there at this time next year leading the charge into the postseason.