Asked about mirroring the path of Strasburg, Harvey, who has just 13 career starts, expressed a desire to distinguish himself individually. But he presumably would not mind matching his opponent’s achievements. Strasburg was named to his first All-Star team last year. If Harvey could accomplish that this year, he would get to appear in the game at his home stadium.

And Strasburg, in a way, provides a model for growth. The comprehensiveness of a pitching arsenal is an example of what separates the good from the elite. Fiery fastballs are common, but they are only so effective without the proper complements.

Strasburg, Mets catcher John Buck said, has everything. “He pitches aggressive, and he has secondary pitches, and third and fourth pitches, he’ll throw anytime, any situation,” Buck said. “When he throws as hard as he does and has plus-plus stuff on all his pitches, it makes him tough to hit.”

Harvey has shown inklings of that kind of potential this year. He has been spotting his changeup and breaking balls to key locations and at varied counts more frequently, and he overpowered the San Diego Padres, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins. In his last start, against Minnesota, he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

The Nationals, Strasburg aside, represent a different sort of challenge. But that is precisely what has made Harvey’s impending start against them so fascinating.

“I know he’ll be ready,” Collins said, “because he’s facing one of the best teams in the game.”

Harvey has cleared every obstacle of his short career, appearing to get better every time he has taken the mound. After looking shaky in Class AAA at the start of the 2012 season, Harvey was called to the majors and thrived. Collins attributed that to his competitiveness, his need for pressure.