Mets going with Matt Harvey, not Jacob deGrom in Game 1. Is this the right choice?

The Mets announced their World Series rotation and Matt Harvey, not Jacob deGrom will take the mound in Game 1, with deGrom following him in Game 2 in Kansas City. Noah Syndergaard will start Game 3 at Citi Field and Steven Matz will take the ball in Game 4.

The decision to go with Harvey in Game 1 over deGrom has caused a bit of a stir among some critics. deGrom started Game 1 of the NLDS and has shined on the playoff stage overall, going 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA while racking up 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Harvey has also performed quite well in winning both of his postseason starts, posting a 2.84 ERA and fanning 11.4 batter per nine.

If the series goes the distance, the Mets would have Harvey, deGrom, and Syndergaard going in Games 5-7, respectively, and that's where some concern has been voiced. If Game 7 in Kansas City decides the championship, should the Mets want to hand the ball to Syndergaard, a rookie who has been noticeably worse pitching on the road this season? Of course, if Syndergaard falters early in a possible Game 7, Harvey and deGrom could come on in relief since teams typically take the all-hands-on-deck approach in a clinching scenario. And, of course, Syndergaard was excellent on the road in relief in Game 5 against the Dodgers, so reading too much into his home-road splits is probably silly.

With Harvey going in Game 1 and deGrom going in Game 2, the Mets may simply be looking for the early kill in K.C.. If the Mets go up 2-0 behind their two lead stallions, and with Syndergaard looming in Game 3 with what will be a raucously loud Citi Field crowd, the Mets may not have to be overly concerned about what plays out in possible Games 5-7. Either way, the Mets will have a very good arm on the mound in possible clinching games against the Royals and don't believe for a minute that any of them will be unavailable out of the bullpen, if needed, with a championship on the line.