Groton's Matt Harvey, a junior RHP at North Carolina, was the seventh overall pick of the first round by the New York Mets on Monday night.

Harvey was taken in the third round out of Fitch High in 2007, and turned down a reported $1 million bonus from the Angels. He could sign for triple that amount. Mike Miner, taken seventh overall by Atlanta a year ago, signed for $2.42 million. Harvey is a legitimate flame thrower (he routinely runs it up to 96 mph), is represented by Scott Boras and has the deep pockets of the Mets working in his favor.

He was 8-3 with a 3.09 ERA at North Carolina this spring, including 102 strikeouts in 96 innings pitched. He was a preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference and All-American.

Among draft picks from Connecticut, only Stamford's Bobby Valentine was taken higher when he went fifth overall to the Dodgers in 1965. It's also the third successive season a player from the state has gone in the first round (Anthony Hewitt of the Salisbury School went 24th overall to the Phillies in 2008 and A.J. Pollock of Hebron went 17th to the Diamondbacks last June). Not bad considering Connecticut had only two first rounders the previous 19 drafts, the last in 1996.