Matt Harvey illustrates how bad Baltimore Orioles rotation is

There is something to be said for being a former top prospect who has found success in the majors at one point. Teams will keep giving those players a chance, hoping that they can catch lightning in a bottle and tap into their former potential. Such is the case with Matt Harvey, who received another chance with the Baltimore Orioles.

Given the state of the Orioles’ pitching staff, it is not a surprise that Harvey made their Opening Day roster. However, Harvey being Baltimore’s second starter shows just how bad their starting rotation is.

Matt Harvey shows how bad Baltimore Orioles will be in 2021

Harvey has been a disaster since his excellent 2015 season. Since the start of 2016, he has posted a 19-34 record with a 5.82 ERA and a 1.504 WHiP. In his 411.2 innings, he has issued 143 walks and 75 homers while striking out 323 batters. As bad as those numbers are, they are skewed by a relatively successful 128 inning run with the Reds in 2018.

He has been particularly worse over the past two seasons. His 7.82 ERA and 1.738 WHiP in his 71.1 innings hardly inspire confidence. And Harvey was not exactly great during spring training, with a 5.40 ERA in his ten innings, allowing three homers.

But hope springs eternal. Harvey showed reasonably solid control, issuing just one walk while striking out six batters. His velocity may not be what it was at his peak, but if Harvey can be even close to a league average arm, he could be flipped at the trade deadline for a potential piece for the future.

Yes, that is a lot to ask for. However, the Orioles pitching staff is not exactly brimming with other options at this point. As their rebuild continues to progress, taking a chance on someone such as Harvey makes sense. But to slot him as the second starter shows a level of desperation that even most rebuilding teams would not have.

The Baltimore Orioles pitching staff is a disaster. Having Matt Harvey as the second starter just further pushes that point home.