I think Jacob deGrom is a better pitcher. Noah Syndegaard seems like a nicer guy and more of a team player (and also he’s a better pitcher). But Matt Harvey is my favorite Mets pitcher.

I think about half of the Mets fan base is constantly shouting, “trade him! He wants to be a Yankee, let him go.” Maybe he does. Maybe he’s just in this season to get a big contract when becomes a free agent. Maybe he’s under Scott Boras’s thumb. Maybe he’s a fame hungry jerk.

He’s still my favorite Mets pitcher.

If I recall, he came up for the first time at the end of R.A. Dickey’s Cy Young Award winning season. R.A. Dickey was the most exciting thing that Mets fans had at that time. It was great to watch him go deep into games and confound hitters. Knuckle ball pitchers don’t come along that often. But even with R. A. having a Cy Young Award winning season, Matt Harvey was exciting. I just loved watching him pitch. There seemed to be such mastery coming from a rookie.

He had one great season, then Tommy John surgery and a few other injuries that I don’t feel like googling right now. The point is, he was a huge disappointment last year and the year before that.

But he’s still my favorite Mets pitcher.

The Mets beat the Phillies tonight and are now 3-1 on the season. It’s a magical time for a baseball fan: the beginning of the season where you still have hope (even Mets fans).

Tonight Harvey pitched five scoreless innings with only one hit but he still didn’t get the win. I have no idea if this will be his season of redemption or the season where he seals his fate with the Mets and Mets fans as a huge disappointment. I don’t know if Mickey Calloway will manage him better than Terry Collins did. It’s way to early to tell.

And if Steven Matz doesn’t bring it in his next start, I’m done. You’re on a much shorter leash when you’re not my favorite Mets pitcher.