Steven Matz plays Santa Claus at Mets' Holiday Party, welcomes higher expectations next season

                                                              

Much will change for Steven Matz next season and not just the fact that he acknowledges he’ll probably look for his own digs and won’t live at his parents’ house on Long Island again.

“Probably,” Matz said. “Not have to do that long drive every day.”

He’ll be an established member of the Met rotation, slotting in behind Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. He’ll have a successful, if brief, first big-league season to build off and postseason experience under his belt.  

HARPER: METS SHOULD TEST YOENIS CESPEDES WATERS

“Whenever you do something you can have confidence that you can be successful,” Matz said Tuesday after playing Santa Claus at the Mets’ annual Kids Holiday Party at Citi Field. “It helps you carry that into the next season. So that’s what it did. Kind of been there. You’re not going to pitch in a bigger game than the World Series, so I think that all helps.”

But with it come greater expectations, too, including staying in the rotation – injuries shortened his first trip to the majors to just six regular-season starts and three in the postseason. He was 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA in the regular season and 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in October.

Asked what he hoped for Matz in 2016, Mets manager Terry Collins said: “Health. Health. Strictly.

“This guy, if you can get him out there, let’s just say 28 times, he’s going to win a lot of games. I’ve talked to a number of people who have seen him in the minor leagues and there are those guys who think as he gets better, as he gets a little more under his belt, that he’ll be as good as anybody else on this staff.  

“Those are big statements.”

Matz isn’t feeling any heat, at least so far. He was in a, ahem, jolly mood Tuesday after visiting with 135 or so kids from several Queens schools. If he was concerned about the so-called Mets’ Santa jinx, it didn’t show, either.  

FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. "LIKE" US HERE

Jenrry Mejia played Santa last year and then got slapped with two drug suspensions and several other players, such as Mike Cameron and David Wright, have gotten hurt in the season after they donned the fake white beard and big belly. Kris (Kringle) Benson got traded after his wife, Anna, showed up in a skimpy Mrs. Claus getup.

Matz is simply looking forward to next year. He’s already started working out after a month off and a charity trip to Honduras.

He said he reflected “a little bit” on the Mets’ World Series run, but now feels “more hungry to win the World Series, having tasted that.

“I’m real excited I got my feet wet this year – I would say more than wet, with the playoffs and stuff – but I’m really excited to get this season started. That first month off was nice, but I’m getting the itch again to get the season started.”