MLB Prospects: Things You Need to Know About Mets' Top Prospect Matt Harvey

On Thursday night, right-handed pitching prospect Matt Harvey—Prospect Pipeline’s No. 35 overall prospect—will make his highly anticipated big league debut with the New York Mets on the road against the Diamondbacks.

Over the course of the season, there was uncertainty as to whether the Mets would promote the right-hander during the 2012 season. But after Dillon Gee landed on the disabled list with blood clots in his throwing arm and the organization released 41-year-old Miguel Batista, the stage has finally been set for Harvey’s major league debut.

At 6’4”, 225 pounds, Harvey, 23, has the upside of a No. 2 starter due to his four-pitch mix. And he has both the size and durability to maintain his velocity deep into games.

The right-hander’s fastball is most effective in the low to mid-90s with late, arm-side life, but he has been known to pop the occasional 96-97. When he’s getting on top of the pitch and repeating his arm slot, it will also generate some late sinking movement.

Since his days at Chapel Hill, Harvey’s out pitch has been a slider with hard bite, working in the low-80s and thrown from his typical arm slot. The right-hander also will snap off a big curveball, but it’s to prevent hitters from keying on his fastball-slider combination.

He does mix in a changeup, though it’s thrown sparingly and generally inconsistent. Although the pitch generates some nice fading action, he tends to force its placement around the zone and throws it with too much velocity.

A first-round selection (seventh overall) by the Mets out of North Carolina in 2010, Harvey breezed through the Florida State League (High-A) in 2011, posting an 8-2 record, 3.23 FIP and 92/24 K/BB in 76 innings. After a promotion to Double-A Binghamton, Harvey initially struggled, but he finished the season on a high note with five wins and 50 strikeouts over his final 47 innings.

He's spent the entire 2012 season pitching for Triple-A Buffalo of the International League, and other than a few starts during the first month of the season, he's had an impressive campaign. Spanning 20 starts, the right-hander has registered a 3.67 FIP with 112 K/48 BB over 110 innings. He hasn’t exactly dominated as some expected, but it's not as though he's disappointed, either.

Although he’s far from a polished pitcher, Harvey has made strides with his command this season against more advanced hitters. Surprisingly, he’s been more effective against left-handed hitters this season with a 2.81 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 51.1 innings. Against righties, he posted a 4.45 ERA with 28 walks in 58.2 innings.

Another area of concern is his effectiveness with runners on base, as Harvey often falls out of sync with his mechanics and release point when working from the stack. His splits this season reflect that, too, as his 7.01 ERA and 49 K/19 BB in 51.1 innings with runners on are a stark contrast to the 0.77 ERA and 63 K/32 BB with nobody on base.

As with any pitching prospect getting his first taste of the major leagues, don’t expect Harvey to come out and dominate tonight on the road in Arizona.

Although his command has improved this season, it’s still not big-league ready, per se. He’ll have his moments when he finds a groove and executes his pitches, but he'll also endure bouts of inconsistency when he repeatedly misses the strike zone without making a noticeable adjustment.

Still, there’s a lot to be excited about with the right-hander. His debut marks the arrival of a new wave of pitching talent for the Mets, as the team’s No. 1 prospect, right-hander Zack Wheeler, is enjoying a strong season at Double-A and should debut in 2013.

Don’t be overly concerned with Harvey’s immediate success—his promotion to the major leagues signifies that the organization is confident in the 23-year-old and is focused on the years ahead.