Matt Harvey (photo via Prospect Nation)

The Mets selected RHP Matt Harvey out of North Carolina with the #7 pick in tonight’s MLB Amateur Draft.

Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog is reporting that Mets officials had the following praise for Harvey in a conference call to discuss the pick:

He’s big, strong and durable, similar to Mike Pelfrey.

He has a power arm, capable of throwing his fastball between 91 and 98 mph.

His curve ball sits in 80s, his change-up in the low 80s, and and his slider in the mid-80s.

He pitches off his fastball, but all of his pitches are usable.

He has good command and control for his age.

He was already very good in high school, but benefited from college coaching.

He’s going to be a strike thrower, using both sides of the plate.

Matt also points out that Harvey is represented by Scott Boras…

Feel free to discuss and if you find anything interesting on the team’s upcoming picks, post it in the comments. I’ll be back and forth throughout the night and I’m sure Joe is working on some Janish-y analysis of Matt Harvey.

Perez during a rehab start in 2009

Earlier this afternoon, I posted a link to an interview with minor league pitching coach Jeff Andrews. Andrews was the minor league pitching coordinator with the Padres when Oliver Perez was in the organization. He obviously knows Ollie better than most.

Quote of the day:

“I don’t know that there’s many outside things that can cure him,” he said. “It’s very rare that he’ll take a cue from someone else.” – Jeff Andrews in The Wall Street Journal (June 7, 2010)

ESPN New York – Adam Rubin is reporting that Jesus Feliciano is not in tonight’s starting lineup for Buffalo. Does that mean the Feliciano Era will begin tomorrow night?

New York Times – Jerry Manuel is indicating the Mets may bring John Maine back as a reliever.  We may have to implement a 3-week rule on anything Jerry says. If it still seems plausible after 3 weeks, then it can be published.

Wall Street Journal – A fascinating interviw with Jeff Andrews. Mr. Andrews was the minor league pitching coordinator for the San Diego Padres when Ollie Perez was signed as a 16-year old.

MetsBlog – The Brewers have released Jeff Suppan. Could the Suppan Era be right around the corner? He could be the poor man’s Kevin Millwood (aka the poor man’s Cliff Lee)… Stay tuned!

Seven Train to Shea – Steve Sidoti looks at what caliber of player the Mets could be drafting with the #7 pick. Tulowitski, Kershaw and Pelfrey. Oh my.

Amazin’ Avenue – James Kannengieser says the Mets are swinging at too many pitches out of the strike zone.

OnTheBlack – Should the Mets trade for Cliff Lee? Kerel Cooper breaks it down. My money is on Kevin Millwood.

Brooklyn Met Fan – Adam has a recap of yesterday’s win.

The Daily Stache – Scott Ilowite thinks Alex Cora is a waste of money. I have to respectfully disagree with this line of thinking. Cora is the closest thing the Mets have to Keith Hernandez, intangibly speaking.

The Mets Police – Shannon Shark is feeling good about the Mets these days –  the franchise as a whole, not just the team on the field.

And in case you never heard it, here is “Get Metsmerized.” This is for commenter Isuzudude, who said he was “mildly disappointed” by Darryl Strawberry’s solo rap song. Maybe he will enjoy the work Darryl did within the group dynamic. Sometimes being in a group brings out the best in a musician. Just ask Paul McCartney.

NOTE: This is a report from MetsToday’s official sabermetrician and minor league correspondent Matt Himelfarb. Enjoy.

Wilmer Flores has come a long way since Summer 2008 in Kingsport.

Photo of Wilmer Flores by Tom Priddy

Two years ago, Flores, just 16 years old, was assigned to the Kingsport Mets of the Rookie level Appalachian League. At that age, any semblance of production- any semblance of playing time, for that matter- warrants some attention. Yet, Flores took the league by storm, hitting .310/.351/.490 in 265 plate-appearances before a late-season promotion to Brooklyn.

Of course, there were some growing pains along the way.

A little over a month into the season, the Princeton Rays came into town for a three-game set. Tim Beckham, the number one overall pick that June, was there as well, setting the stage for quite a spectacle. For three nights, Hunter Wright Stadium, capacity 2,500, would boast the two best prospects in the league.

“All of a sudden you got probably the best two players in the league”, than Kingsport manager and current Sand Gnats skipper Pedro Lopez says, “and everybody wants to know who’s the best? Who’s the better shortstop in the league? And I saw this kid is really nice, really polite. Its unbelievable.”

Than came his first interview with a reporter from New York, with Lopez acting as translator. Most of it went something like this: