The Keepers - #2 - RHSP - Matt Harvey

2.             SP Matt Harvey

North Carolina – 6-4, 230 - … was 3^rd round pick by the Angels out of high school and turned down a $1mil offer. Low-90s fastball that touches 95. Excellent curveball… average changeup… comes from ¾ arm slot… changeup 78-81… breaking ball 76-79… works quickly from stretch… 2009: 7-2, 5.35, 78K, 70.2 IP… BA ranks him as the #1 sophomore of the 2009 season…

10. Matt Harvey – North Carolina – 6-4, 230 - … was 3rd round pick by the Angels out of high school and turned down a $1mil offer. Low-90s fastball that touches 95. Excellent curveball… average changeup… comes from ¾ arm slot… changeup 78-81… breaking ball 76-79… works quickly from stretch… 2009: 7-2, 5.35, 78K, 70.2 IP… BA ranks him as the #1 sophomore of the 2009 season…

7/07 fr. www.projectprospect.com : - A first round talent out of high school in 2007, Harvey slipped to the fourth round due to bonus demands. While his time at North Carolina has been a bit rocky, Harvey still has good stuff and struck out 81 batters in 75 innings last spring. Harvey’s fastball sits in the low 90’s with some sink, and is complimented by a potentially plus breaking ball and changeup. If Harvey can show some improved command this spring, he walked 11.9% of batters last spring, he still has as much upside as any pitcher in this class.

the rest is below...

the rest is below...

8-1: from http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com: put on some weight this year and arm angle dropped a bit, most fb were very straight during CWS, velocity still solid abv ave range 89-94 will touch 95-96 on occasion. Must work with finger pressure and get more movement on his fb for 2010. Solid slide piece when on top. Control is solid as well.

8-2: from 6-16 article www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com : Harvey turned down $1 million from the Angels as a third-round pick out of high school, and the Connecticut product is pitching in his second straight CWS with the Tar Heels. He'll become the undisputed staff ace next year when White and senior Adam Warren (a fourth-round pick of the Yankees this year) move on, using a low-90s fastball that reaches 95 at times and a true hammer curveball that is his best pitch. Harvey can lose control of the strike zone due to a long arm action and some effort in his delivery, so he's not a finished product. But he was the best pitching prospect in the Cape last summer and may be again in 2009.

9-24: From: http://mlbresource.blogspot.com: Mock Draft Version 1.0 – 8th pick overall - 8. Matt Harvey, RHP - North Carolina

9-28: From http://mlbresource.blogspot.com: - Mock Draft Version 2 - #15 pick overall - Matt Harvey, RHP - North Carolina - North Carolina seems to breed first round pitching and out comes another. Harvey has been higher on other boards and even my previous one but a shaky 5.40 ERA last year will need to be improved on. Stats do not tell the whole story as this is a polished righty with a chance to be a quality big league starter.

10-5 from http://baseballdraftreport.com: - top 50 prospects in 2010 draft – #18 – Matt Harvey (11th RHP on list)

11-2 from www.perfectgame.com : - Future Scout Sully said: Here is my list of the Top 50 in the class. I have seen almost every one of these players. Went out to AFLAC for the week, saw team usa play, and went to many cape games: - 8- RHP Matt Harvey (5th RHP on list)

11-3 from www.mlbresource.com : 3rd Mock draft – #16 - Matt Harvey, RHP - North Carolina - Harvey gives the Cubs an experienced big game pitcher that comes from a school known for developing quality pitchers. Harvey could go even higher than this. (8th RHP on list)

11-17 from www.mlbdraft.blogspot.com : - 13. Chicago White Sox- Matt Harvey, RHP, UNC - Harvey was viewed as a top 5 pick, if not the top pick in the draft for quite some time. That was before Harper entered the draft, and before Harvey has a disapointing season at UNC. If Harvey bounces back to form, he could find himself near the top of the draft again. (6th RHP picked)

11-18 from www.macksmets.blogspot.com : - 8. RHP Matt Harvey – a weak draft means lots of right hand pitchers taken early and Harvey will be one of the first ones grabbed. (4th RHP on list)

11-23 from www.deepleagues.com : - #19 - Detroit Tigers Matt Harvey (P, North Carolina) (8th RHP on list)

2010 MLB DRAFT MOCK DRAFT- 12/31/09 – www.jjscouting.com  - 13. Chicago White Sox- Matt Harvey, RHP, UNC - Harvey was viewed as a top 5 pick, if not the top pick in the draft for quite some time. That was before Harper entered the draft, and before Harvey has a disappointing season at UNC. If Harvey bounces back to form, he could find himself near the top of the draft again.

1-1-9 from www.draftsite.com : - mock draft: - #55 NY Mets Matt Harvey RHP University of North Carolina 6'4" 225 R,R

1-15-9 from http://baseballdraftreport.com : - #28 Los Angeles Dodgers: RHSP Matt Harvey – North Carolina - After Harvey’s hot start last season, I wrote the following on March 1, 2009:

[W]hat is the likelihood, if it exists at all, that Matt Harvey reaches the same level of hype other elite college pitchers (Strasburg, Price, and Prior, to name a few) had heading into his draft year? Uhh, I’m going to have to go out on a limb here and say that the likelihood isn’t all that good. Controversial answer, I know. It’s probably weird having Matt Harvey in the first round at this point, but, if anything, I actually feel weird about having him this low. A really, really good rule to follow when tracking draft prospects is to remember that once a player shows you a skill, it is his to own. There are obvious exceptions to this, major injuries being the most obvious, but good players just don’t plain forget how to do good things on the field. Elite prospects who don’t sign out of high school tend not to drop too far after three years of college, even if those three years are so-so. The most recent reports on Harvey have been largely positive: 90-93 sitting velocity with fastball, 94-95 peak velocity, plus 77-80 CB, and a solid sinking low-80s change. The biggest problem with Harvey’s game seems to be his bizarre velocity inconsistency with his fastball. One day you’ll see him pitching in the mid-90s, the next he’ll be down to maxing out at 86 (86!), and then he’ll be back up to sitting 88-90, but still not hitting 96 like before…until the next time out when he suddenly has regained those lost 10 MPH on the fastball. What the heck is that? It’s not even a start-to-start phenomenom, either; Harvey has experienced sudden velocities dips and gains in-game as well. I have no idea what to make of Harvey. If the right scouting director sees him on the right day, he’ll go high. If not, he’ll be lumped in with the rest of the college guys who project as relievers hoping to get a spot in the first five rounds. I like the idea of the Dodgers taking Harvey one pick before the Angels, the team that couldn’t get him signed back in 2007. I wonder what Harvey’s career would have looked like so far if he would have signed out of high school. He’s a prime candidate for an Alternate Reality Crystal Ball…

3-10 from XMLBScout/perfectgame.com: - Also in regards to Matt Harvey, his delivery is cleaner than last summer yes and last spring, yes, but still the same kid with a much better breaking ball. He might be best suited as a closer in the big leagues also John Smoltz or Steve Bedrosian, I don't think he has 5 plus inning in him every 4 days and be consistent, but who knows once he's in pro ball. Top 50 guy for sure.

3-16 from http://www.prospectjunkies.com: -

Matt Harvey - RHP - UNC. 5IP 7H 3ER 4BB 3K (W). Line looks closer to the 09 Harvey in a NC win v. Duke.:

3-24 from: http://pnrscouting.com/articles_stockwatch_2010class_10onthrerise_03232010.html  - Stock Watch: Ten on the Rise (2010 Draft Class) - Matt Harvey, RHP, Univ. of North Carolina (#56 on PnR Preseason Top 300): After strong reports came out of fall practice in Chapel Hill, PnR was comfortable placing Harvey comfortably in the second round for our preseason rankings -- his pure stuff is special and easily worthy of 1st round consideration if he's performing at his best. Consistency has been the issue throughout Harvey's time at UNC, but if the first month of the 2010 is any indication of things to come he may have finally shaken that monkey off of his back. Harvey has posted a fine line of 5 GS, 32 IP, 20 H, 7 ER, 14 BB and 37 SO while showing potential front-end stuff, including a low- to mid-90s fastball, a potential plus breaking ball and a change-up he has been throwing with increasing success. Harvey can continue to win over supporters the more consistency he shows, and could be a 1st round -- maybe early 1st round -- selection come June.

4-7 from: http://www.baseballrumormill.com/2010/04/2010-draft-preview-matt-harvey-rising-kyle-blair-falling/#more  - Matt Harvey, UNC, RHP: The North Carolina product has improved his deliver which has resulted in high velocity in his fastball, up to 97 so far this season. Although he continues to struggle with his command, he continues to induce almost 80% of balls put in play on the ground. He seems likely to be a first round draft pick.

4-13 from: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=4361060202  - Also in regards to Matt Harvey, his delivery is cleaner than last summer yes and last spring, yes, but still the same kid with a much better breaking ball. He might be best suited as a closer in the big leagues also John Smoltz or Steve Bedrosian, I don't think he has 5 plus inning in him every 4 days and be consistent, but who knows once he's in pro ball. Top 50 guy for sure.

4-19 from: - http://www.baseballrumormill.com  - Harvey has bounced back from two awful years in college to reestablish himself as a prospect for this year's draft, with a significant and unexpected increase in velocity this spring and an improved delivery. One major change in Harvey's performance this year is in his ability to get groundballs, as he's getting on top of his fastball and driving many of them down at or below the bottom of the zone.

4-19 from: - http://www.pnrscouting.com/rankings_2010_midseason_pitcher.html  - Matt Harvey, Junior, Univ. of North Carolina and Brandon Workman, Junior, Univ. of Texas jumped into the back-end of the Top 10, Harvey all the way from a preseason ranking of #27. Each has struggled some with his command (Harvey to a greater extent than Workman), but have enjoyed a successful first half to the year and project as legit 1st Round talents.

4-20 from: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/4/20/1433135/interesting-college-pitchers-for  - RHP, University of North Carolina - An unsigned third round pick in the 2007 draft, Harvey has been erratic in college, outstanding at times but hampered by command issues. At his best, the 6-4, 225 pounder features a mid-90s fastball, a nasty curve, and a solid changeup. However, problems with his mechanics were an issue last summer in the Cape Cod League, costing him velocity and control. He's been much better this spring, with a 2.59 ERA and a 60/26 K/BB in 59 innings, with 44 hits allowed, showing a more consistent delivery and better stuff (96-98), though his control still wobbles on occasion. Harvey is a definite wild card on draft day. Depending on his bonus demands and late May performance, he could go anywhere from 15 to 40.

4-24 from: - http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/baseball/news;_ylt=AjpEcNS8dq_g39RRWsAapfgMwLYF?slug=kr-friday042410  - He also was one of the biggest question marks before the season. Harvey, who turned down big-time money out of high school to attend North Carolina, had a fabulous freshman campaign that ended with a 2.79 ERA. But as a sophomore last season, the right-hander certainly left something to be desired with a 5.40 ERA. Numerous meltdowns last season led to a plethora of question marks about Harvey’s ability to be the Tar Heels’ staff ace this spring. Consider those questions answered, though. Harvey is having a sensational campaign for the Tar Heels. And after striking out 15 batters and allowing just three runs on six hits in a complete game performance against Clemson on Friday, his numbers became even more impressive. Harvey has a 2.65 ERA in 68 innings of work. He also has struck out 75 and walked 27 and is limiting opposing teams to a .202 batting average in 10 starts.

4-26 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/04/26/acc-baseball-weekly-honors  - North Carolina’s Matt Harvey received ACC Pitcher of the Week honors. Harvey (5-2) threw his first career complete-game with a six hitter with a career-best 15 strikeouts to lead North Carolina over No. 20 Clemson 5-3 Friday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Harvey struck out the side three times, including six punch-outs in a row in the sixth and seventh innings, and now has fanned the side nine different times this season. The junior caught nine Clemson batters looking at a called third strike and fell just four strikeouts shy of the single-game school record of 19. Harvey eclipsed his previous career-high of 13 strikeouts and now has posted four double-digit strikeout games this season. Harvey, a junior from Mystic, Conn., was also named a National Pitcher of the Week by Collegiate Baseball.

4-28 from: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/04/28/lincolns-2010-draft-board  - Matt Harvey has been known to draftniks for a long time. Heralded as neck-and-neck with Rick Porcello out of high school by some, Harvey has been up-and-down during his time at the University of North Carolina. Fortunately for Harvey, this spring has mostly been up. Control has been a problem at times during his collegiate career but this spring he’s walked 9.8% of the batters, a number that will need to come down as a professional but it’s not a terrible figure. Harvey’s mediocre control is offset by a lot of strikeouts, 28.3% of batters this spring including 15 in his last outing versus a very good Clemson squad. Harvey’s fastball has shown impressive velocity, touching 96-97 MPH late in starts and excellent sink, 69% of his batted ball outs have come on the ground. In high school, Harvey’s main breaking ball was a plus curveball; in college he’s spent more time toying with a slider that flashes plus but is still inconsistent. While he may not go as high as some though he deserved out of high school, Harvey still looks like a solid first round pick.

5-1 from: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/04/28/lincolns-2010-draft-board  - Matt Harvey has been known to draftniks for a long time. Heralded as neck-and-neck with Rick Porcello out of high school by some, Harvey has been up-and-down during his time at the University of North Carolina. Fortunately for Harvey, this spring has mostly been up. Control has been a problem at times during his collegiate career but this spring he’s walked 9.8% of the batters, a number that will need to come down as a professional but it’s not a terrible figure. Harvey’s mediocre control is offset by a lot of strikeouts, 28.3% of batters this spring including 15 in his last outing versus a very good Clemson squad. Harvey’s fastball has shown impressive velocity, touching 96-97 MPH late in starts and excellent sink, 69% of his batted ball outs have come on the ground. In high school, Harvey’s main breaking ball was a plus curveball; in college he’s spent more time toying with a slider that flashes plus but is still inconsistent. While he may not go as high as some though he deserved out of high school, Harvey still looks like a solid first round pick.

5-17 from: - http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MLB_Draft/entry/view/66255/stock_watch_harvey_up,_colon_down#page_brea k - On the season, Harvey is 6-3 with a 2.72 ERA, striking out 86 in 82 innings pitched. The 30 walks is still a concern, and some scouts believe Harvey might find more success as a power reliever, with velocity that sits easily in the 96-97 mph range. His slider has progressed from a hard curve he used to throw and is considered above average. Those two pitches alone, along with a clean delivery and strong arm have people thinking Harvey could pitch fast if he were drafted as late-inning reliever, eventually moving into a closer's role. At 6-4 and 225 pounds, he fits the bill.

From: - http://www.scoutingbook.com/players/p2682   - The seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft, Matt Harvey is a tall righthander from Mystic, Connecticut who pitched his college ball at UNC, where a few tweaks to his high-school delivery paid off with extra cheese on his fastball. He can dial that smooth, easy heat up to 98mph and has a propensity for throwing ground balls. His command is spotty, but nothing out of the norm for such a young, high-upside arm. He should move quickly through a pitching-poor Mets system.

From: http://www.baseballrumormill.com / : - "With a good arm, nice and easy delivery, projectable frame and the possibility to have a three-pitch mix (right now, the changeup lags behind the other two). He'll need some refinement with his delivery, but has a very high ceiling."

From Keith Law: - Harvey has bounced back from two awful years in college to reestablish himself as a prospect for this year's draft, with a significant and unexpected increase in velocity this spring and an improved delivery. He's touched 97 in several starts and will hold 95-96 for 30-40 pitches at the start of a game, then working at 91-94 through the 100 pitch mark. His best off speed pitch is a 79-84 mph changeup with some downward fade, but his curveball, his best off speed pitch in high school, is below average now and very inconsistent. Harvey drives his fastball down in the zone, getting groundballs at an impressive rate, but overall doesn't command the ball, and in many ways he's the same pitcher he was the last two years, but with more velocity. His arm is looser and much cleaner in the back than it had been prior to this year, although he still lands awkwardly and stiffly and the way he drifts off the rubber isn't helping him land consistently. Ultimately, his best role may be in the pen, where he won't have to deal with losing velocity (and could easily sit 95-97), he can work with just two pitches, and the lack of command could be mitigated by the quality of his stuff. If he's drafted as a starter, some player development staff will have a fair amount of work to do to get him to reach his potential in that role.

From John Manuel: - The Mets get more talent one spot behind the Diamondbacks, taking North Carolina right-hander Matt Harvey. The Nutmeg State product fits the Mets profile. Rudy Terrasas, the Mets' scouting director, likes his pitchers big, physical and throwing hard, and that's what Harvey does. He also has the power slider and improved control to be a front-of-the-rotation starter if it all comes together. Harvey's the best pitcher the Mets have drafted since Mike Pelfrey in 2005.

From: http://www.rotoworld.com / : - "Harvey probably would have been a first-round pick in 2007 if not for some big-time bonus demands. He rejected an offer from the Angels and went to North Carolina, where he struggled for two years before pushing his stock back up this season. Harvey can throw in the mid-90s, but his curveball comes and goes. The Mets figure to keep him in the rotation, but he’s more likely to make it in the majors as a short reliever than as a starter."

From: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/6/7/15   ... harvey-rhp  - Matt Harvey is a top-level right-handed starting pitcher from the University of North Carolina. Harvey attended high school at Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut, near the Rhode Island border. He was teammates with fellow 2010 draft prospect Jesse Hahn, though Harvey has been on the national stage far longer. He was known as one of the top arms for the 2007 draft for quite awhile before the draft even rolled around, and it was surprising when he fell all the way to the third round, where the Angels made a run at signing him, only to fail at doing so. He headed to North Carolina thanks to adviser Scott Boras, and after a rocky couple of years to start there, he’s really started fulfilling his potential this spring. Scouts still point to his awful mechanics last year, but he’s improved so much that it seems to be a dead issue, and he projects as a number two starter if things come together exactly right. His fastball is an easy plus pitch, getting some plus-plus grades, as he sits 92-95 most nights and can pump it up to 97, and he holds velocity deep into games, even when asked to throw absurd numbers of pitches. His breaking ball is a potential plus slider, which is distinctly different from the curveball he threw as a prep, which has gone by the wayside. His changeup is only a fringe-average pitch, but he gets by with his two plus pitches with ease. Even with Scott Boras still as his adviser, he’s expected to go in the top twenty picks, and he should command something around $2 million.

3-5-11: - Up:  -  Harvey finally pitched for the Mets, on Saturday, against the Italian team that is being coached by Mike Piazza. Word from the camp was he sat in the 92-93 range and pitched a scoreless inning. Welcome to the team, Matt.

3-22-11: - Up: - SP Matt Harvey – pitched Tuesday in minor league game, throwing 76-curve, 86-mph slider and fastball up to 98…  this is why you draft a quality pitcher with your first round pick, regardless of what the bonus has to be. There are only some many of these studs available every draft and you just know the Mets already have plans for him hitting Queens by all-star weekend 2012.

4-7-11 - Matt Harvey started a little rocky… walking two and giving up a single in the first. Saved his own ass with terrific pickoff throw to Flores to take down runner at second. An even stranger second inning…  three singles, no runs, and three strikeouts. He moved his strikeout total to six after three innings. He left after five… no runs and nine strikeouts. What more can I say?

5-4-11: - Matt Harvey had given up only four earned runs all season and all of them came in his last outing against the same team he pitched again tonight. The organization needed a boost and Harvey game through. 9-Ks in 6.1-IP and ERA lowered to 1.10.

5-10-11: - Well, it looks like those of you that wanted Matt Harvey to pitch in Binghamton are going to have to wait for some more turns. Nothing seemed to work… batter hit by pitch, two homers, one a grand slam, and a fastball that only hit 93. It just was a bad outing from a very good pitcher. 3.2-IP, 7-H, 8-ER.

5-27-11: - Okay, Friday night was Harvey’s 10th start in A+ and the league has seen enough. He put up seven more shutout innings while striking out ten and it’s time for him to join his pitching bud, Jeurys Familia, in Binghamton. These two guys, plus a fully healed Jenrry Mejia, represent the future of the Mets beginning in 2013. Some still have their doubts, while others think they could see Queens next year. I really believe at this point that both these guys are for real, but neither should be rushed in 2012. Let them finish 2011 in Binghamton. Bring them to camp with the big boys in 2012, and start them off in Buffalo on opening day. Mejia should be pitching there by June and the Binghamton staff will feature Greg Peavey, Matt Barnes, and Josh Osich. Familia didn’t have as great a night as Harvey (3-ER in 5.0-IP, 7-K), but the strikeouts are still there, and his AA ERA is still 2.25. That comes to 10 starts in A+/AA, 60.1-IP, 12-ER, and 57-K while only 17-BB. I have no problem with these numbers.

6-3-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2011/2611874.html Harvey threw seven scoreless innings against Dunedin on Friday while allowing just three hits and establishing a career high with 10 strikeouts. He followed that with nine-strikeout effort against Clearwater. That's all in a week's work for Harvey, who in 59 innings has struck out 71 batters to rank third in the Florida State League. His sparkling 3.6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio has dispelled concerns (at least initially) about spotty command that dogged him in college. Harvey's performance, along with that of Double-A flame-thrower Jeurys Familia, has been a boon to a Mets system that lost top prospect Jenrry Mejia to Tommy John surgery in May

6-26-11: - I can’t begin to remember how many times we have written about the difficulty of going from A+ to AA. There are very few bad baseball players at this level and, in order for a pitcher to excel here, he must pitch, not throw. Matt Harvey got his first lesson yesterday: 4.2-IP, 9-H, 4-ER, 4-K, 2-BB, 7.71. Hey, it’s only one game and, frankly, every future start needs a couple of these to keep them honest.

6-27-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/6605/mets-minors/all-about-matt-harvey  - Sandy Alderson has already stated that his administration will try not to rush prospects through the minor league system into the majors after seeing the failed cases of Scott Kazmir and Fernando Martinez, for example. Regardless, since Harvey was a high 1st-round pick, we shouldn’t be surprised to see him in a Mets uniform and in the starting rotation by July of 2012. This kid is a real keeper and he is going to be a successful MLB pitcher hopefully with the Mets. He has top-of-the-rotation stuff and will be up there in the Mets rotation with Johan Santana when the Met ace returns from injury. (editor: I do not agree with this).

6-29-11: - http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=law_keith&id=6711904&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2fblog%3fname%3dlaw_keith%26id%3d6711904  - Harvey was the seventh pick in last year’s draft and came into pro ball boasting a plus fastball with good downhill plane and a solid average-or-better changeup but struggled with both breaking balls. Reports this year have the breaking balls improving but the changeup regressing — which would still leave him a three-pitch guy, plenty to be a front-line starter given the strength of his fastball.

7-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/07/best-mets-minor-league-surprises-mid-season-edition.html  - Matt Harvey – Binghamton, the 6’4″ right hander, who was the 2010 first round draft pick, made his professional debut this season, starting the year in St. Lucie, and earning a recent promotion to AA. His first start at Bingo was shaky, his second was much better as he begins to settle into the Eastern League. Here are the St Lucie stats that got him called up to the next level: in 14 starts he went 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA. 76 IP, 67 H, 92 K, 24 BB, .238 BA against. Yes that is correct, 92 K’s in 76 IP.

7-7-11: - We’ve seen this happen before. Your slam dunk A+ pitcher hit the wall in AA. Harvey gave up seven runs in three pitched last night and his AA ERA is now 9.24. The strikeouts were still there (5 in 3.0), but this was his second bad AA outing out of three.  I’m far from worried, and hopefully, this is all a learning process, but just how many of these guys were we so excited about until they hit the wall in Binghamton?

7-13-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/765098-new-york-mets-dillon-gee-and-the-mets-top-10-young-pitching-prospects#/articles/765098-new-york-mets-dillon-gee-and-the-mets-top-10-young-pitching-prospects/page/2 - The 6’4”, 210-pound right-handed pitcher was 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA this season for St. Lucie before getting called up to AA. His 92 strikeouts and 10.2 SO/9 were leading the team before he was called up. He has a mean repertoire that includes a fastball in the upper-90s, a wicked curveball, a sinker, a slider and is developing a changeup. Harvey’s desire to dominate has been compared to Roy Halladay, and the New York Post reports that he once threw 157 pitches in a game in college to defeat Clemson. The last pitch was clocked at 96 mph. His arm was not sore the next day. Harvey is beyond gifted. BaseballAmerica calls him the fourth-best prospect for the New York Mets, and there is a lot of promise behind this young arm. Two days ago, he was named the 30th-best prospect in the game. No other Mets player cracked the top 50

7-26-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/26/2287253/mets-mid-term-farm-system-review-2011-binghamton#storyjump - RHP Matt Harvey - STOCK UP - The first rounder from New London had quite a bit of hype surrounding him coming into his pro debut and he had no problem living up to every bit of it. He didn't allow an earned run through his first 22 IP and soon after he won the FSL's Pitcher of the Week award and it was clear to all that Harvey was the goods. Though he eventually did allow a run, Harvey looked dominant throughout his stay in Hi-A to the tune of a 10.89 K/9 and a .238 average against. However -- not surprisingly -- Double-A has a much tougher test for Harvey. Suddenly we are seeing first-hand evidence of the raw secondary stuff and sometimes shaky command that we heard about back when he was drafted. Though he's actually striking out more batters than before, his biggest problem has been consistently falling behind batters. As a result he's serving up more meatballs (.338 AVG against) as well as racking up big pitch counts early. Despite the struggles, this isn't alarming or uncommon for a Double-A debut. Really all it tells us is that perhaps Harvey is not the Gooden-esque phenom people hoped when he first busted out of the gates...but he can still be very good.

7-29-11: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110728&content_id=22453088&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&tcid=tw_share - Binghamton's Matt Harvey still doesn't have a victory six starts into his first Double-A career, but he took something else home Thursday night. Harvey struck out 10 and allowed four hits over seven strong innings, but gave up a game-tying run in the Mets' eventual 2-1 defeat in 14 frames to the host Harrisburg Senators. The 22-year-old right-hander -- New York's No. 3 prospect -- struggled to control the running game. The Harvey-Kai Gronauer battery allowed three stolen bases, and the the last was the most significant: Derek Norris walked on four pitches, swiped second base and scored three batters later on Chris Rahl's liner into left, tying the score, 1-1.

8-11-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/baseball-americas-mets-top-10-list-prior-to-2011-where-are-they-now.html - SP – Matt Harvey: Hes pitched like a potential top of the rotation starter that some project him to be. He dominated the low minors and forced his promotion to Double-A. After initially struggling at the next level, he has returned to dominance his last few starts. Harvey is showing more and more why he is the crown jewel of the system right now. Started 2011: Single-A  Currently: Double-A

8-14-11: - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904006104576504653753002880.html - Harvey, a 22-year-old pitcher, hasn't even finished his first minor-league season. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton less than two months ago. But with the Mets effectively out of playoff contention, fans are looking to the future. And they want that future, in the form of Harvey, to arrive soon. Preferably, tomorrow or the next day. The question was premature, but not entirely outlandish. Harvey, whom the Mets selected seventh overall in the first round draft of the 2010 draft, was recently ranked by Baseball America as the 30th best prospect in the game. In 14 starts with Class-A St. Lucie, he was dominant. He posted a 2.37 earned run average and averaged 10.9 strikeouts, only 2.8 walks and 0.6 home runs allowed per nine innings.

8-14-11: - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=38578  - Harvey did show a very hard fastball, but it was mostly over the middle and appeared very hittable. The Thunder strung together three straight hits to lead off the second inning, scoring two runs. The toolsy Melky Mesa (more on him later) led off with a hard single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch, and advanced to second on a bullet line drive by Zoilo Almonte which struck Harvey and caromed over to the third baseman. Damon Sublett followed with a deep double to left center. Although Harvey did not walk anyone, he ran the count deep several times and had to come in with a meaty fastball to get the ball across.

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html -

SP1:  Matt Harvey - I can’t believe I’m projecting Harvey to be the “ace” at AAA already, after only one year of pro ball, but his performance at AA this year has been gaining momentum and he seems up for the challenge. After completely dominating the Florida State League in the first half, he was promoted to AA Bingo at the end of June. It was then that he ran into his first adversity as a professional, losing his first three Eastern League decisions, and getting knocked around pretty good. But being the perfectionist that he is, Harvey was quick to adjust to the league, and turned a corner with his start on July 28th. Since that night, in his last six starts, he is 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA. In 34 IP, he has given up 25 hits, and only 1 HR, and his K/BB ratio is 34/11. Harvey will get one more start this season, which will bring his innings total to nearly 140, about 65 of which were at AA. With his advanced pitching capability, and ability to make quick adjustments, I don’t think it’s a stretch to see him opening the season with Buffalo. Considering how far Harvey has progressed in his first year, his first start at Citi can’t be that far off.

10-10-11: - https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/132edccbf718965f - Top five Met prospects -  Sunday, October 9, 2011 - The Record - 1. Matt Harvey, RHP, 22 (13-5 with a 3.32 ERA at Class A St. Lucie and AA Binghamton): Minor-league pitchers are tough to count on, but he’s as close to a sure thing as the Mets have. Power, command and a presence led to a solid – and sensational at times – first year in pro ball. Mets project him as a late 2012 call-up.

10-17-11: - http://baseballinstinct.com/2011/10/17/prospect-instinct-matt-harvey-rhp-new-york-mets - Matt Harvey has a plus curveball with a borderline plus fastball. The slider is average. His changeup should be an average or better pitch as well, so he has a four pitch mix that makes me confident to call him a future big league starter. His command has come along as well, so while he was a #2-#3 starter going into the season, the command has put him in the elite level of pitching prospects and he has a chance to be a frontline starter. His frame says that there is a workhorse 200 inning eater here as well. The only thing that can hold him back from reaching a successful #2 starter or better will be his mechanics. The changes that have been made are a step in the right direction and he’ll need to hold that upgrade going forward while maturing as a starter. We should see Harvey some time in 2012. He could start the season in Triple-A and be with the Mets by the All Star break.

10-25-11: - http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2011/10/25/2011-top-20-new-york-mets-prospects  - 2011 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects -  3.Matt Harvey, RHP (High Class A, AA): Most importantly for the righty, he continued to throw strikes all year long (2.84 bb/9 IP at A+, 3.47 at AA). Harvey showed good command of a strong fastball and quality curve, with the strikeout numbers to match (10.89/9 IP at A+, 9.65 at AA). A solid ground ball rate makes him that much more valuable. It was a welcome sight to see such good command after a shaky end to his college career. He still has room for improvement in needing to stay around the strike zone a bit more, but a 2.66 FIP in 76 High A innings and 3.23 FIP through 59.2 AA innings is fantastic for a first year pro.

11-23-11: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111110&content_id=25949502&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&partnerId=rss_nym - Right-handed starting pitcher -- Matt Harvey, St. Lucie (14 games), Binghamton (12 games): In his first pro season, the seventh overall pick in 2010 led the organization in wins. His 2.37 ERA at St. Lucie ballooned to 4.53 in Binghamton, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio never wavered. The Futures Game selection fanned 156 and issued 47 free passes over 135 2/3 frames.  "We were tremendously pleased," DePodesta said. "Matt obviously came with high expectations. Our goals for him were for him to get established on a five-day schedule.

 "There's no doubt in our mind he could go to St. Lucie and dominate without using his changeup. He went to Binghamton and continued to work on his pitches. There were times when I'm sure it would have been easier to throw a fastball by a guy and get out of an inning, but he knew it was more important to work on his craft."  The University of North Carolina product showed improvement at Double-A in August, going 5-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five outings.

 Backman, who calls Harvey "intense," is impressed with his repertoire.

"I compare him to [Jeurys] Familia, but he's got more stuff than Familia," he said. "They're both power fastball, power breaking ball guys [while their] changeup is a work-in-progress. When I graded [Harvey] out, I had him as a No. 2 starter on a championship-level, big league team."  Familia won half of his 10 decisions and recorded a 2.90 ERA in 23 starts, 17 for Backman at Binghamton. The native of the Dominican Republic fanned 132 over 124 innings.

 Lopez said Harvey "has all the making of a great starter" but cautioned that he should be more aggressive earlier in counts, innings and outings.

"The way he went about his business of getting guys out -- in college, you don't have a pitch count, but in the pros you do," Lopez said. "You have to manage your pitch count to be able to pitch deeper into games. His first couple ballgames, he was coming out early."

1-3-12 - http://mets360.com/?p=8885&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mets360%2Ffeed+%28Mets360+Feed%29  - 1. Matt Harvey, SP, Hi-A/Double-A, 8-2, 2.37 ERA, 92 Ks in 76 IP - This is his line in Hi-A. Harvey made his professional debut in St. Lucie and posted this line over 14 starts before being promoted to Double-A. His ERA took a big hit with the jump to Binghamton, but his peripherals were much better than the 4.53 ERA he posted the second half of the year in 59.2 IP. Harvey had a 3.23 FIP in Double-A. He had a 9.65 K/9 in his stint in Binghamton but was hurt by a 66.3 LOB%. Harvey struggled initially but during the month of August, he was 5-0 with a 2.67 ERA and had 9 BB and 24 Ks in 27 IP.

1-10-12 - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/top-15-prospects-new-york-mets/  2. Matt Harvey, RHP

 BORN: March 27, 1989

 EXPERIENCE: 1 season

 ACQUIRED: 2010 1st round (7th overall), U of North Carolina

 2010-11 TOP 10 RANKING: 3rd

SCOUTING REPORT: Harvey, like Wheeler, features a good, hard fastball that sits in the 92-96 mph range. He also features a very good slider and seldom-used changeup. Harvey has a big, strong pitcher’s frame but struggles with his command at times when he fights his delivery. He’s been on the prospect landscape for a long time and was a potential top pick in the ’07 draft before bonus demands slid him to the third round. The Angels organization came close to signing him but he ultimately chose to attend UNC.

YEAR IN REVIEW: Harvey made his official pro debut in 2011, beginning the year in high-A ball where he posted a 2.66 FIP (2.37 ERA) in 76 innings. The Connecticut native missed a lot of bats (10.89 K/9) and generally over-powered the young hitters. Moved up to double-A, he struggled with his control as his walk rate rose from 2.84 to 3.47 BB/9. His FIP, though, still remained solid at 3.23 (4.53 ERA).

YEAR AHEAD: The right-hander may return briefly to double-A with a few things to work on, although he did get better as the season wound down. The development of Harvey’s changeup will be huge in 2012 as he hasn’t thrown it much at all. If all goes well, and he shows significant improvement with his third offering, Harvey could surface in Queens at some point during the season half of the baseball season.

CAREER OUTLOOK: Harvey entered pro ball with serious question marks about his ability to work out of a big league starting rotation. There are fewer voices expressing concern that he’ll top out as a high leverage reliever but he’ll need that third pitch to help erase that concern. If everything breaks right for Harvey, he could develop into a durable No. 2 starter.