Dubbed the Dark Knight of Gotham by Sports Illustrated, pitcher Matt Harvey has helped the red headed stepchild of New York City baseball teams (Go Mets!) ascend to first place in its division. Take that Evil Empire. Now despite the fact that his mop is hidden beneath a hat while working his day job, Harvey has been chosen as the face, eh hair, of Axe’s new results-oriented shampoo and 2-in-1. Harvey sat down with us to discuss which one of his teammate has the best hair, his low-maintenance grooming routine, and why sushi is diet food.
Were you particular about your shampoo before this Axe thing came about?
Once I started coming to Whittemore House, I did. The owner Larry is my stylist, and he told me I should really start taking care of my hair. And so when Axe introduced me to these shampoos that help hair look great and feel great, I knew it was something I could get into. And my interest in taking care of my hair was definitely increased by DeGrom and Syndergaard and their long locks. I had to find something to keep up with those two. For me Axe Primed was perfect.
Does DeGrom give you any hair advice?
No. He’s grown it since 2010 and doesn’t do too much to it. I brought some Axe to the locker room and pretty much everyone has been using it. Hopefully, we will see some better hair.
So who has the best hair on the team now?
Well, DeGrom thinks he does. Short hair wise, I know David Wright loves his hair. But now that I’m with Axe, I think I’m going to go with myself.
Has your hair guy Larry taught you anything else about styling your hair?
He tells me to come in to get cuts more than I do. Especially during the baseball season, when we’re away ten days at a time and it’s a busy schedule, it’s hard to come in as often as I should. So as much as I can see him and keep things looking good, the better.
So no hair superstitions?
Not really. At one point in 2013, I was shaving before every start and I was doing pretty well. And as an athlete, sometimes you have superstitions. But for me, it didn’t work. Now, it’s more of a lazy thing with the scruff.
Do you go to a barber or do it yourself?
I usually just trim it. So I take a hot shower or soak my face in a warm towel to make sure the hair is ready to be cut. And then just use an electric razor. Never a straight blade so there’s always scruff.
Do you do anything else for your skincare routine or have one?
I don’t. I need to wear sunscreen. My mother and my sisters get on me to use it way more. But I’ve been fortunate with pretty good skin. I have two older sisters so I learned from them but, no, I don’t really do anything.
Do you wash your face at least?
Of course. Playing in dirt and outside and being in New York, you can get really greasy and dirty. So I try to keep things as clean as possible.
When you’re on the road and traveling so much, how do you prevent yourself from looking haggard?
Sleep is important I always bring my own products because we go to different hotels and you never know what they’re going to give you. Now I have Axe Prime so I bring that. I always have an extra bottle in my bag.
What do you do to stay in shape when it’s not regular season or spring training?
I do a lot of Pilates. I started a couple of years ago. It took awhile to really believe in it and start really practicing it. But I really enjoy it and have found it useful and have gotten great results from it. In the off-season, I do Pilates a couple of times a week. If I want to listen to music and hop on a bike, I’ll do SoulCycle. I’m not that experienced of a SoulCycler, so I’m usually in the back pouring sweat. But I’m always fairly active. Obviously towards the season, we ramp things up.
What’s your diet plan?
A lot of sushi. I go to Lure for lunch. And I love Sushi of Gari. Sushi has definitely turned into one of my favorites. It’s a good source of protein and doesn’t have too many calories.
