Ryan Harvey Homage Thread

[Laura]

Ryan Harvey hit his 21st home run last night and is leading the MWL in HRs and RBIs (86).

 

He's the youngest player in the top 5 in MWL homeruns.

player    team   HRs   birthdate
piepkorn  DAY   (16)   2/18/81
nicolas   SOU   (19)   4/17/82
touissant CED   (17)  10/24/82
mwilson   WIS   (16)   6/29/83
harvey    PEO   (21)   8/30/84

 

He just took over the MWL lead in slugging percentage ... .002 ahead of second-place teammate Eric Patterson. (Luis Montanez actually still qualifies as MWL slg% leader, so the Chiefs technically have the top 3 in the league). He's 2nd in the MWL in XBH with 52; 5th in Total Bases.

 

On July 8, he was hitting .258.

On August 8, he's hitting .272.

 

Per the Chiefs:

 

Harvey passed Jose Leon (1997) and is now 6th on the Chiefs single season HR list.

 

Harvey also passed Albert Pujols (2000) and Troy McNaughton (1999) and tied Joe Frietas (1997) to move into 8th on the single season RBI list.

 

I know he's also close to breaking the O'Brien Field record for home home runs :-) ... but I'm not sure what that number is. O'Brien opened in 2002, so it's obviously a recent record.

 

This has been mentioned in recent minor league game threads: Harvey was named in the recent "Best Tools" feature in Baseball America as the MWL top power prospect. From the 8/7 Peoria Journal-Star:

 

Harvey's eight-homer, 33-RBI July gave the right-hander the league lead in the former and moved him within striking range of the lead in the latter.

 

"If there's a ball over the plate, I just try to put a good swing on it," Harvey said. "If it goes out, so be it.

 

"Before, I was trying to do too much. I was trying to hit the ball out of the park and hit doubles and triples. Now I'm just putting the ball in play and letting fate do its thing."

 

Cheers to Ryan Harvey! :cheers:

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Harvey since July 8:

 

2/5 2B, HR

0/5

2/6 HR

1/5 2B

1/4 2B, BB

1/4 HR

1/4 HR

2/5 2B

3/4 2B, HR

0/4

1/5 2B

2/4 HR, BB

1/4 HR

1/4 2B

0/4

3/4 2B

1/5 HR

3/7 2B, 3B

3/3 2B

1/5

1/4 BB

2/4 2B, HBP

2/5 2B, HR

0/2 BB, HBP

1/4

1/5

2/4 2B, HR

0/4

0/4

2/4 HR

 

Total: 40/131, 13 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR; .305/.331/.672/1.003

[Brian]

:bowdown: :bowdown:

 

wtg ryan!

[NorthsideAvenger]

Now if the Cubs can get Dopirak going again, then we might be on to something.

[imb]

I have an autographed faux batting helmet signed by Harvey and made out to IMB. I think Harvey knows who his number one fan is, so back off! (Serena can stay)

[coldsteel]

Harvey also passed Albert Pujols (2000) to move into 8th on the single season RBI list.

 

Future HOFer Ryan Harvey *IS* the second-coming of albert pujols -- except THIS time, the Mighty Peorian will be on OUR side! We shall all be avenged, at last.

 

Put this someday-cubs-legend on the Q&A list if you could, nsbb.

 

cold

[Laura]

He's 2nd in the MWL in XBH with 52; 5th in Total Bases.

 

He actually has 51 XBH.

 

SORRY.

[brinoch]

His awesomeness is immeasurable.

[CubinNY]

For those in the know:

 

What can Harvey do to cut down on the Ks and still keep the good power numbers?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

For those in the know:

 

What can Harvey do to cut down on the Ks and still keep the good power numbers?

 

Become Albert Pujols?

 

Seriously though, he could cut down some of the K's with his power, but a pretty high strikeout rate is the likely price for his power. What I'd like to see are some walks along with those K's.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

For those in the know:

 

What can Harvey do to cut down on the Ks and still keep the good power numbers?

 

It'd help if he didn't bite on those low-and-away sliders (it sounds like that pitch is what is giving him the most difficulty). Laying off on those pitches shouldn't hurt his power numbers.

[Magnetic Curses]

For those in the know:

 

What can Harvey do to cut down on the Ks and still keep the good power numbers?

 

Become Albert Pujols?

 

Seriously though, he could cut down some of the K's with his power, but a pretty high strikeout rate is the likely price for his power. What I'd like to see are some walks along with those K's.

 

true, his IsoD is pretty low.

[imb]

I dont think he's K'ing because he's missing pitches in the zone, I think he's k'ing because he's swinging at bad pitches. Hell, if anything, decreasing his strikeouts might help his power.

[CubsWin]

I dont think he's K'ing because he's missing pitches in the zone, I think he's k'ing because he's swinging at bad pitches. Hell, if anything, decreasing his strikeouts might help his power.

Right, but I think the point that CP20 was making was that in order to have that kind of HR power, you need to be aggressive to generate the necessary bat speed which means Harvey will have that fraction of a second less to recognize which pitch to swing at and which one to let go.

 

He can still improve his pitch recognition like everyone else, but that is why power hitters in general have a higher strikeout rate than contact hitters.

[CuseCubFan69]

I'm hoping that since he is one of the youngest guys that his pitch recoginition will come in time. How did he do in HS regarding his BB/K ratio?

[Laura]

Harvey hit HR #23 last night and continues to lead the Midwest League in HRs and RBIs.

 

They estimated last night's HR at 470 feet. :shock:

[UK1679666180]

He's skinny strong too, he's not stiff like Dubois. He has a quick bat and can generate power, I'd like to see how long his swing when they come to Beloit next week.

[Laura]

Which game do you think you're going to?

[waffle]

love the hitting totals, can he field? I know his rep when drafted was 5 tools. whats' the consensus now that you have had a chance to watch him everyday?

[UK1679666180]

Which game do you think you're going to?

 

Good question right now, I'll see what the plans are.

[Laura]

love the hitting totals, can he field? I know his rep when drafted was 5 tools. whats' the consensus now that you have had a chance to watch him everyday?

 

Welcome to the forums! :D

 

You might want to ask Nathan Baliva this question, too (in the aptly named "Question for Nathan Baliva" thread), since he does actually get to see Harvey play everyday.

 

Consensus here is that Ryan Harvey has a strong accurate throwing arm -- he pitched in high school -- and I've seen him throw lasers in from right field. He has decent speed and seems to get good reads on balls. I haven't seen him let a ball get behind him, which is all good in my book.

 

 

Good question right now, I'll see what the plans are.

 

My Wisconsin friend was interested in meeting up with me again there, but I don't think I'll be up for battling weekday traffic.