The Dark Knight is hanging up his cape.
Former New York Mets ace Matt Harvey announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. The 34-year-old last played in 2021 and shared his retirement news via social media.
“To the fans, most importantly the NY Mets fans: you made a dream come true for me,” Harvey wrote on Instagram. “A dream I never could have thought to be true. Who would have thought a kid from Mystic, CT would be able to play in the greatest city in the world, his hometown. You are forever embedded in my heart.
“Goodbye, Baseball. And thank you.”
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Harvey began his MLB career with the Mets in 2012.
The next year, he gained superhero status, gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated as “The Dark Night of Gotham” and starting the 2013 All-Star Game at his home ballpark of Citi Field. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting after going 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts.
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Tommy John surgery in October 2013 kept Harvey out for the entire 2014 season. He returned in 2015 and was part of a Mets team that won the NL pennant before falling to the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
Harvey played in New York until May 2018, when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. From there, Harvey’s MLB journey included stops with the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles. His final MLB start came on Sept. 8, 2021, with the Orioles.
Last May, MLB suspended Harvey for 60 games for distributing a prohibited drug of abuse, violating the league’s joint drug program.
For his career, Harvey had a 50-66 record, 4.42 ERA and 867 strikeouts.
