While I was putting together my daily post to announce the starting pitchers for each level on May 22nd, I thought to myself, “Shoot, there’s a dominant pitcher throwing for almost each team today.”

I also knew it was Matt Harvey day in Flushing as the New York Mets were taking on the Cincinnati Reds. In addition to Harvey, Zack Wheeler was taking the mound for Las Vegas, Erik Goeddel for Binghamton, Noah Syndergaard for St. Lucie, and Rainy Lara for Savannah.

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who had this thought, as Hank commented on my post, saying:

“Wow. If Montero was pitching today at AA, you could argue that today was the best organizational pitching day in Mets history, with their best pitchers at each level taking the hill.”

He took the words right out of my mouth. If Rafael Montero did take the mound for the B-Mets, we would have seen one prized possession take a big league mound (Harvey), three top-10 prospects throw on the same day (Wheeler, Montero, and Syndergaard), and someone who has taken home his league’s pitcher of the week award twice in three weeks (Lara).

How did they perform yesterday? You can take a look at their lines below:

Harvey: 6.1 IP, 9 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts (ND)

Wheeler: 5 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts (W)

Goeddel: 5.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts (W)

Syndergaard: 5.2 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts (L)

Lara: 4.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts (L)

Not exactly the best performances we’ve seen from them, but a day like yesterday means more than just the results. As we sit here right now, the big league team is 17-27, the earliest they’ve been 10 games under .500 since 2001. Needless to say, most of the fan base is disgusted with their performance, not that it has been overly surprising; not many (if any) were expecting a playoff run from the 2013 Mets.

The one aspect of the ball club that has been disappointing is the starting rotation, outside of Matt Harvey. The rotation currently boasts a 4.37 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, which both rank in the lower half of Major League Baseball. The team’s overall play has been so poor that a lot of fans only look forward to the days when Harvey pitches because that’s their best chance to win.

With the pitchers that took the mound yesterday throughout the Mets organization, it symbolizes hope for the near future. Wheeler and Montero (although he was on a plane back to Binghamton) could both be in the majors by the end of the season, while Syndergaard could be joining them sometime in 2014 (probably later in the season), depending on how quickly he continues to develop.

It’s been frustrating to watch the Mets play as badly as they have. Only being confident when Harvey takes the mound is equally frustrating. His starts have been compared to those of Dwight Gooden for good reason. They have turned into events, hence the “Matt Harvey Day” praises from fans every fifth day.

Very soon, instead of Mets fans having to wait once every five days for that feeling they get when Harvey’s slated to start, they’ll be getting that feeling at least four out of five days. The talent on the verge of breaking into the majors is a symbol of hope.

The San Francisco Giants used the strength of their pitching staff to win two of the last three World Series titles, and it’s clear that building a strong pitching staff with talented young hurlers is a priority of the Mets organization.

We can only hope the pitching potential in New York’s pipeline will bring that kind of success to Flushing. Either way, it will soon feel like Matt Harvey day nearly every time the Mets take the field once these pitchers make their way through the farm system. That doesn’t give us any solace for this year’s team, but having that light at the end of the tunnel keeps me optimistic.