Washington Nationals claim one-time Baltimore Orioles’ prospect Hunter Harvey off waivers from San Francisco Giants

WASHINGTON – After pitching at low Single-A Delmarva in 2014, Hunter Harvey was asked what it would take to make the majors.

“I just have to get more consistent with my pitching mechanics. I have to be able to command it and throw strikes,” he told this reporter in a story for Orioles’ Inside Pitch.

Harvey did eventually make The Show, pitching in seven games for the Orioles in 2019 as we went 1-0 with an ERA of 1.42.

A right-hander from North Carolina, he was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants on Monday by Washington.

Harvey is the son of Bryan Harvey, who was a closer for the Angels and Marlins from 1987 to 1995; the elder Harvey was an All-Star in 1991 and 1993.

The younger Harvey was born in Catawba, North Carolina, and was taken in the first round out of high school there by the Orioles in 2013.

He has appeared in at least seven games in the majors in each of the last three years.

Harvey was 0-2 with an ERA of 4.15 in 10 games out of the bullpen for the Orioles in 2020.

Last year he was 0-0 with an ERA of 4.15 in nine games out of the pen for Baltimore.

Harvey began playing organized baseball at the age of 3 with a T-ball team called the Optimists in North Carolina.

He had a solid year in 2014 with Delmarva as he went 7-5 with an ERA of 3.18 in 17 starts before he was shut down in late July due to a flexor mass strain.

Harvey, who dealt with injuries as a pro, said he learned a lot in his season on the Eastern Shore.

“I learned it was a long season,” he said. “You have to have good command to pitch in pro baseball. That is something I am working on. I have to get more consistent with all of my pitches.”

While in the Baltimore system, he gave a lot of credit to former major league hurler Alan Mills.

“I had him all of last year and he was a huge help,” Harvey said of that 2014 season. “He picks up on stuff. If he sees you drifting in your delivery, he picked up on that really quickly.”

Former Baltimore manager Buck Showalter, now with the Mets, recognized the potential of Harvey in 2015 when his contract called for him to be in Spring Training with the Major League club.

“He’s not out of place,” Showalter said then.

And Harvey won’t be out of place with a Washington team looking for more pitching options.