Two of the more anticipated prospects made their debuts last night and definitely didn’t disappoint with their performances.  Exactly what did Matt Harvey and Starling Marte do?  What are there long-term outlooks?  Let’s take a look at them and all the rest from yesterday’s games:

1. Matt Harvey – New York Mets – Starting Pitcher – While there have been questions regarding Harvey, he certainly made it seem like he was going to be a superstar in his first start.  Taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road Harvey tossed 5.1 shutout innings allowing 3 H and 3 BB, striking out 11.  Yes the latter number can’t be expected often, but he had 112 K over 110.0 innings at Triple-A this season so don’t look at it as an aberration either.  He throws hard (sitting in the mid-90s yesterday) and should continue to pile up the strikeouts.  Yes, you would like to see him walk a few less batters, but that’s splitting hairs.  He is worth owning in all deeper formats, even though we all know there could be some rough patches for the rookie.  However, next week he’s scheduled for two-starts, taking on the Giants and Padres.  You have to like those matchups.
2. Startling Marte – Pittsburgh Pirates – Outfielder – He made an impact in his first career game, homering on the first pitch he saw (and leading off to boot).  He finished the day going 2-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R.  He attempted to steal a base, but was unsuccessful.  He is an intriguing fantasy option, bringing both power and speed to the table, making him worth a flier in all formats.  However, strikeouts could be a major issue and keep him from hitting for a high average initially.  At Triple-A this season he had a 21.1% strikeout rate, a number that could increase in the Majors.  That’s hardly enough to avoid him and he is worth grabbing in all formats.  It’s just something we all need to be aware of.  With 12 HR and 21 SB in 388 AB, there’s too much to like.

More Quick Thoughts:

• Chris Tillman pitched better than his final numbers show, as he entered the seventh with a shutout.  However, after allowing the first three batters to reach (one of which was played into a double by Chris Davis) he finished allowing 2 ER on 5 H and 4 BB, striking out 5, over 6.0 IP.  However, he did earn the W and now has 3 W in his four starts this season.  His start against the Twins right after the break was ugly (5 H and 2 BB over 0.2 IP), but otherwise he has been impressive.  While he is risky, in deeper formats I’d be willing to take the gamble and play the matchups for now.
• Has Travis Snider finally figured it out in the Major Leagues?  He went 2-4 with 2 RBI and 1 R yesterday and is now hitting .304 with 2 HR, 6 RBI and 4 R in his first 23 AB since rejoining the team.  However, before anyone gets to excited, he has 11 K over that span (with 2 in each of his past five games).  It’s tough to remain successful with that type of mark, and a huge dropoff could be in the near future if he doesn’t get it under control.
• The Cardinals pounded Chris Capuano and the Dodgers yesterday, as Capuano allowed 6 ER on 11 H and 1 BB, striking out 1, over 4.1 IP.  It’s the second time in his past 4 starts where he has allowed at least 5 ER (14 ER over 23.0 IP over that span).    Considering his career track record (3.95 ERA is the best of his career), a regression really shouldn’t be a surprise.  I’d cash in if you can.
• Travis Hafner went 1-4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and 1 R.  That’s back-to-back games with home runs.  While he’s not the player that he once was, if you are desperate for some power he could hold value.
• Yovani Gallardo got bombed, allowing 7 ER on 7 H and 2 BB, striking out 6, over 5.0 innings of work.  Since striking out 14 on 7/15 he has now allowed 11 ER and 16 H over his last 10.2 innings.  Is there a correlation?  He only threw 108 pitches in that start, so it’s hard to imagine.  He simply appears to be struggling at the moment, but it’s nothing to get overly concerned about.  I would expect him to get things back on track in the very near future, so stay the course.
• Jason Vargas completely stymied the Kansas City Royals last night, allowing 1 ER on 1 H and 3 BB, striking out 5, over 8.0 innings of work.  His name has started to pop up in trade rumors, so it will be interesting to see if his next start comes for the Mariners or somewhere else.  He’s one his last 4 starts, is sporting a tidy 1.46 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in July and has not allowed more than 3 ER in his past six starts (after allowing 23 ER in his previous 4 outings).  I’d definitely ride him while he’s hot, but I would still be cautious.