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LA Angels: 5 Bold Predictions for the 2019 Season

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 24: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim attends a press conference after he agreed to terms of a 12-year, $430 million contract extension at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on March 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 24: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim attends a press conference after he agreed to terms of a 12-year, $430 million contract extension at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on March 24, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Matt Harvey Wins AL Comeback Player of the Year

By Ryan Falla

Matt Harvey is going to win Comeback Player of the Year for 2019. Book it. Take it to the bank, take it to your bookie, your priest, just take it everywhere. Remember that you heard it here first.

Matt Harvey will win the 2019 MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award.

All the pieces are in place; when you listen to Harvey talk about his upcoming season with the Angels he sounds like a fresh-faced kid embarking on a new career. That’s because he is embarking on a new career, at least in his mind.

Out with the old Matt Harvey, the guy who floated his era around 5 for a couple of years (2017: 6.74 ERA; 2018: 4.94 ERA). It’s time for the new Matt Harvey, the guy who still has all the talent that led him to contend for Cy Young in 2013. He still has plenty gas in the tank to fire it up as he is just entering his age 30 season.

Matt Harvey already started the climb to resurgence last year as he pitched 155 innings with the Mets and Reds. His previous seasons of 2016 and 2017 saw him pitch exactly 92.2 innings each year, so we’re already seeing him getting back in shape. He showed that there’s still plenty of Matt Harvey left to go around and he’s ready to show the world with the Angels. Matt Harvey may be the Dark Knight, but even the Batman himself had career lows.

The question isn’t “will” he win the CPoTY award, the question is how impenetrable his case will be. I’m not expecting anything near his 2015 numbers (189.1 IP, 2.27 ERA, 188 K’s), just a halfway point between that and his 2018 numbers (155 IP, 4.94 ERA, 131 K’s) will be enough to win him the award.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he pitched anywhere around 140-160 innings and maintained an ERA near the mid 3s. Just a shot in the dark; 158 IP, 3.59 ERA, 167 K’s is my “off the top of the head” predictions to his numbers.

Baseball is a storybook sport and Matt Harvey is in line for a storied season. After years of succumbing to internal vices and diminishing care for the sport it looks like Matt Harvey is taking charge of not just his career, but his life. If all that positivity, optimism, and resurging talent is translated into the regular season we are going to be in line for one hell of a storybook year.

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