When Matt Harvey went to North Carolina instead of signing with the Angels, who had drafted him in the third round of the 2007 draft, he was expected to dominate.
But first, he had to grow up.
“I’ve never seen a kid develop over three years more than Matt did,” North Carolina coach Mike Fox said. “I think he planned on signing out of high school, and all of a sudden he was on our campus and not really ready for it. I think the first couple months were really tough for him, but he progressed each and every day he was on our campus, and became a leader for us this year.”
Harvey’s sophomore year was one to forget. After entering North Carolina as one of the top high school pitchers in the country, he found himself with a 5.40 ERA in 75 innings in his second season for the Tar Heels. After a disappointing in the elite Cape Cod League last summer, there were serious questions about where Harvey would land in this year’s draft. Turned out, there was nothing to worry about. Harvey was taken seventh overall by the Mets in the June draft.
“He went to the Cape last year and his velocity was down,” Fox said. “That’s a heavily scouted summer league, and he didn’t perform like the scouts wanted him to. But when he walked back on our campus his junior year, I think he was committed to proving some people wrong.”
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander did just that this season for the Tar Heels, going 8-3 with a 3.09 ERA, with 102 strikeouts and 35 walks in 96 innings. His improvement didn’t surprise former teammate Adam Warren, a fourth-round pick by the Yankees last year who is pitching for Double-A Trenton.
“I could just see him maturing as the two years went on I was there with him,” Warren said. “I assume that continued this past year, and he really stepped up for Carolina this year.
“He’s got all the talent I the world, and for him I think it was just getting some confidence.”
The defining game of Harvey’s college career came against Clemson on April 23. He hurled a complete game in North Carolina’s 4-3 victory, throwing 156 pitches while striking out 15 and walking one.
“That particular day, that was the best outing of his career, and he just got stronger as the game went on. He got up to 120, 125, 130 and I just kept looking at him when he came in and he was throwing 94-95. I think his last pitch was 95 for his 15th strikeout.
“It was an unusual day, but I think Matt was glad he finished the game, and we were, too. Obviously it didn’t hurt him.”