Sure, the Mets lost last night, but let’s keep talking about Matt Harvey!  He’s a shining beacon of superstardom who lights up a murky sea of mediocrity.  Yes, when Harvey pitches, he not only stifles the opposition, but he seems to make the Mets a better team.

Fangraphs wins the award for best use of animated GIFs for baseball analysis.  Look at how remarkably similar Harvey’s pitches are until about halfway to the plate.  His curve has a little loop to it, but his fastball, slider, and changeup look the same until they dart off like a Blue Angel breaking formation.  When Harvey has the kind of command of his pitches he did on Tuesday night, he’s unhittable.  It’s that simple.

With Zack Wheeler seemingly righting his personal ship at Triple-A Las Vegas, it’s only a matter of time (and money) until the young right-hander is recalled to the big club.  Along with Harvey, 2013 could turn into the Summer of Aces.  Ron Darling talked to Mets Merized Online about the difference between the two young pitchers.

Here are a couple of Mets Twitter recaps from this week, including Harvey’s near-perfect game.  I’ve needed to take some time off from reading Mets Twitter during ballgames for the sake of my sanity, but fortunately, there are still some funny, smart people who partake. (@MetsToday and @PaulJFesta, btw)

Last night, Justin Turner played in the outfield for the first time in the majors.  Not to take anything away from Turner, who’s hitting .372/.391/.442 in 47 plate appearances, but that pretty much sums up the state of the Mets outfield.

By the way, has anyone noticed how hot Carlos Gomez is these days?  The hitter with the lifetime .697 OPS has a 1.106 mark this year.  Something clicked for the previously light-hitting outfielder.  It’s a shame that these days, as I write something like this, I have to push back the voices in my head that wonder if that something comes in pill or syringe form.  Hopefully not.

In any event, Mets Today authors never need PEDs.  We run on coffee.

Have a great end of your week and LGM.

Padres 2 Mets 1

Kind of early in the season for a lazy “getaway” day game after a night game.

With three days before pitchers and Molinas report to Port St. Lucie, let’s examine question #3 to be answered during Mets spring training: what will be Justin Turner‘s role?

With 14 days — yup, just two weeks — before pitchers and Molinas report, we examine question #14 that needs to be answered during Mets spring training: who is going to play second base?

The biggest competition in Port St. Lucie last March was at second base, where Luis Castillo, Dan Murphy, and Brad Emaus auditioned for the starting position. Oh, there was mention of Justin Turner, but the scrappy utilityman was written off fairly early; even the names Luis Hernandez and Chin-lung Hu were ahead of Turner on the depth chart. Mainly because he still held an option, it was a foregone conclusion that Turner would start the season in AAA and be summoned only if some kind of catastrophe occurred at the keystone.

In fact, the Mets were so certain of how things would turn out in the middle of the infield, Emaus was listed as their second baseman on the MLB All-Star ballot.

Funny how the best laid plans of mice and Mets often fall astray …

As I write this, the Rays and Rangers are locked in a game in the bottom of the 9th, and the hated Yanks have gotten the jump on Justin Verlander in the first inning. More pressing concerns are afoot however (Ok, not really) in the form of the Mets’ second base competition. No matter who Terry Collins awards the job, at least we know there is no Luis Castillo to worry about … unless Collins decides to award Luis Hernandez another shot … and he wouldn’t do that, right?! Enough with the snark, time to take a look at the Metropolitans’ options at second as of right now.

Mets 5 Cubs 4

Back in competition with other second-division clubs, the Mets re-assert their dominance as the elite among the mediocre. Thankfully, the Mets didn’t just trounce the Cubs, but instead let Chicago remain in the ballgame, allowing for a furiously exciting finish.

They may not be able to put many more fannies in the seats, but at least the Mets are keeping the fannies that are, at the edge of their seats.

Giants 4 Mets 2

Did you expect the Mets to be one game over .500 at the All-Star break?