Harvey off to strong Class A start
North Carolina pitcher Matt Harvey was drafted No. 7 overall by the New York Mets. (June 4, 2010) Credit: AP
Matt Harvey, the Mets' first-round pick in the 2010 draft, made the jump from North Carolina to the Florida State League Thursday in the season opener for Class A St. Lucie.
Harvey struck out nine over five innings and got the win, 1-0. He allowed five hits and walked two.
Harvey, 22, seemed to adjust quickly during spring training to the additional workload of pitching every five days rather than once a week in college, and he probably won't be affected much by the change in venue.
"I'm just kind of taking it as if my approach is good, and my mindset is right, and my body feels great, then pitching is pitching no matter where you are," Harvey said.
It helps when you have Harvey's 95-98 mph velocity to go with a sinker, curveball and two different-speed sliders. That, combined with Harvey's maturity level, means he probably won't stay long at St. Lucie.
