New York Mets: Winners and Losers from Opening Week

Loser: Steven Matz

Pitching a day before Harvey’s successful season debut, Steven Matz did not share the same fulfillment. With similar questions surrounding his health and effectiveness, Matz turned in a performance to forget.

In four innings of work, Matz allowed four runs on three hits and three walks. Matz struggled to find his command and suffered two home runs in addition to numerous hard-hit balls by the Cardinals. It was a struggle from the beginning for Matz, who walked two out of the first three batters he faced. Manager Mickey Callaway noted after Matz’s performance that he lacked confidence on the mound.  

While Matz’s ability to stay healthy is always a concern, a performance like this, following an ineffective season last year, raises even more concerns. In his young career, Matz has shown signs of the potential to be a front-end rotation starter. However, his lack of consistency and recent ineffectiveness is troubling.

This could be a very troubling sign for Matz’s status in the rotation. With Seth Lugo performing well in his small stint and Jason Vargas set to return from injury soon, Matz’s spot in the rotation is all but secure. The organization has shown it is not afraid to send one of their star pitchers to the minors, shown by Zack Wheeler starting the year in Las Vegas. Only one start in, Matz has time to turn his struggles around, but it needs to happen sooner rather than later.