Matt Harvey in Danger of Burning Himself Out By Working Too Hard During Offseason?

Matt Harvey’s social life has been in the news lately. Or, to be more accurate, Harvey’s lack of a social life has been in the news lately. Last week I incorrectly noted that Harvey hadn’t been taking his commitment to baseball seriously enough. Turns out that was a gross mischaracterization of the Mets’ ace’s winter. From Page Six:

"“He definitely wasn’t making out with anyone in Aspen. He was there with friends. He’s totally single and just focusing on getting in better shape and having a great year.” Harvey has since been in LA, training at Boras Sports Training Institute for the month. “He knows training and getting in shape is priority right now,” said the confidante. “He’s getting his ass back in shape to train for baseball. He’s all about baseball. He’s not even thinking about extracurricular activities. He got so close to winning the World Series, he wants a second chance. He really wants it bad.”"

So now I must ask, is Matt Harvey working too hard this offseason? Let’s see… High-altitude training in Aspen when he was supposed to be enjoying time with friends. Then a month working out at a sports training institute. Refusing to think about his personal life? (He hasn’t been linked to a model in a tabloid since November.)

If this seems troubling, that’s because it is. This sounds like somebody who is going to burn out before the season even begins. A 162-game baseball season is a long grind. The short offseason is supposed to be a welcome reprive for major leaguers to relax and recharge their batteries.

Remember, Harvey had Tommy John surgery a little over 2 years ago and sat out the entire 2014 season. He threw a career-high 189.1 innings last season and followed that up with 27 strikeouts in 26.2 postseason innings. The Mets made it all the way to the World Series for the first time since 2000 and have a shot for an extended run of success, but in order for that to happen their pitchers need to stay healthy. That means Harvey has to take it easy before he burns himself out. This report about his hectic offseason workload is troubling to say the least.