Pedro Alvarez promoted!

by houksyndrome on Jun 21, 2009 10:28 PM EDT Comment 30 comments

Pedro Alvarez has been promoted to Altoona, according to John Perotto. I don't see any coverage of it yet on the post gazette website, but I am assuming that Perotto has a reputable source. I must say I am VERY surprised about this promotion. Pedro has been striking out in 30% of his ABs all season. His power has improved steadily but a 30% K rate is a major red flag, just look at Jamie Romak's performance this season in AA. From what I have heard/read, Alvarez has had trouble with breaking stuff in the dirt (my own opinion is that it is probably in 2 strike situations when he is trying to protect the plate and be over-aggressive). He has also hit straight stuff a long way from what I have read. He has had a few monster, multi-HR games in the last week but his overall stats for June (or the last week for that matter) aren't that great. He tends to follow up his monster games with 0-4, 3K performances in which he also commits an error in the field. Hopefully he will be able to hack it at AA, but I can see this being a total disaster where he hits 0.180 the rest of the way a la Romak. I just don't think he is ready for AA pitching yet. I guess we are gonna find out.

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Article from Altoona

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/520155.html?nav=742

by Buccos21 on Jun 21, 2009 10:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

PG also has it.

http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/archive/2009/06/21/alvarez-headed-to-altoona.aspx

Molleken and Dubee also up now…Durham after the CL All Star Break.

by Thunder on Jun 21, 2009 10:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Very excited

It is pretty exciting watching some of the Pirates top prospects moving on up. Let’s see if he can cut back on the K’s and errors

by BattlinBucs on Jun 21, 2009 10:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

All of the sudden...

Altoona becomes the most interesting team in the system.

by Slick1 on Jun 21, 2009 11:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

May need to keep an eye on all of them.

Indy…Lincoln should probably get his first AAA start Tuesday or Wednesday. They’ve only played 1 game this weekend…so who knows what there rotation will look like after tomorrow’s DH.
Altoona…Pedro and Dubee will raise interest above what’s already there. Looks like Moskos had a tough time this evening.
Lynchburg…suspect Rudy Owens will get promoted to Hillcats in next week or so. We’ll see how the Hillcats offense goes without Pedro.
WV…Sanchez should be there later in the week…we’ll see how he and some of the other high picks from the NH drafts do.
SC…they can’t’ possibly be as bad as last year…can they??
Bradenton…lots of young guys including some new draftees.

by Thunder on Jun 21, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're right.

It’s getting more interesting everywhere!

Moskos gave up 5R, 1ER. There were 3 more errors on D. I think Moskos would benefit from some better defense with all of the groundballs he throws.

by Slick1 on Jun 22, 2009 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This has the makings of a potentially great summer

Cutch is playing amazing for the Bucs, Lincoln is a step closer, we drafted high upside arms (now sign them), the Sano sweepstakes, and now Alvarez moving up.

by BattlinBucs on Jun 21, 2009 11:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nowhere to put this

But this is pretty funny.

I’m pretty excited about Pedro also.

by bryanzane on Jun 22, 2009 12:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's funny!

by Slick1 on Jun 22, 2009 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now somebody said the other day on here that Pedro Alvarez was nowhere close to being major league ready, and they obviously knew what they were talking about.

by mspirate on Jun 22, 2009 2:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Before you start crowing...

…let’s see how he looks in AA.

You could promote my grandmother to AA tomorrow. Wouldn’t make her ready to play first base for the Pirates.

by Vlad on Jun 22, 2009 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Saying that Alvarez is nowhere close to being major league ready just shows a lack of baseball knowledge. Regardless of average or strikeouts, he’s close. At least the people that matter, the Pirate scouts and management, know this. But moving on, I believe we’re about to see Pedro really take off. I think his average will go up considerably simply because he will see some better pitches to hit. As I’ve said many times, he does need cut down on the K’s and make more contact, but he’s probably going to strike out his fair share of times being a big power hitter. If he doesn’t show improvement in average and I was wrong, I’ll be the first to admit it, but I just don’t see it. I think this call-up is exactly what he needed. He will be in Triple-A by the end of the year, and he will be the starting 1B for the Pirates in 2010. If I’m wrong about that, I’ll be the first to admit that, too.

by mspirate on Jun 22, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see it

Pedro will finish out the season at Altoona. If he shows management what they want to see he’ll start out next season at Indianapolis. He obviously accomplished what the FO wanted to see prompting the promotion, but look how good Lincoln looked and yet he didn’t jet up. They were patient with him and they should be with Pedro. He’ll be a September call up in ’10

by BattlinBucs on Jun 22, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but Brad Lincoln isn’t Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez is going to be a quick riser through the system. I could see him being a midseason call-up next year. I just think he’ll be ready from day one.

by mspirate on Jun 22, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really enjoy the way...

…you feel free from the constraint of providing evidence to support your opinions.

What leads you to believe that these things will happen? Why will he make more contact and hit for a higher average after a promotion, when the reverse is almost always true? When and why will they promote him to AAA?

by Vlad on Jun 22, 2009 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha…I bet you were saying the same things about him being promoted to Double-A last week. “When and why will he be promoted to Double-A? What leads you to believe he’s going to get a promotion to Double-A?” The guy is a unique talent. The guy is the best player in our system, and it’s not even close. Stats aren’t everything. They don’t always tell the whole story. Ever since Pedro’s sophomore year in college really, he has been projected by coaches and scouts as a special talent that will rise through the minor league system quickly because of his bat and his power. Well, he has 14 HR and 55 RBIs in his first year of professional baseball(which currently leads the Carolina League). No, the average is not there yet and the strikeouts have got to decrease. I’ve said that many times. But for as many strikeouts as has this season, I’m sure there are a lot of balls that he stung right at people that were outs. His average could be higher. That’s just baseball. I think that he will be better at the Double-A level because he will see better pitches to hit, and also he can learn from guys that have been up there for a while about what pitchers’ tendencies are and how the pitch guys in certain situations. Am I saying it’s okay for him to continue to chase pitches out of the strike zone and breaking balls in the dirt? Absolutely not. He has to continue to work on his plate discipline, and seeing a higher level of pitching is only going to challenge him and allow him to get better. But he deserves the call-up. How long were we going to wait to promote him? Did he have to get 25 HR and 90 RBI first? I think he will be very successful, and obviously the Pirates’ management thought it was the right time.

by mspirate on Jun 22, 2009 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“Saying that Alvarez is nowhere close to being major league ready just shows a lack of baseball knowledge.”

Knowledge which, apparently you – and only you – possess.

“Regardless of average or strikeouts, he’s close. At least the people that matter, the Pirate scouts and management, know this.”

Citation? Or are you going the “I have the solution, but I’m not going to tell you yet” route that made thegunner famous? Do you have an “in” with someone in the PBC organization. I doubt it. Seriously.
Unfortunately, when facts, with citation, are presented to you after you request them, you change the criterion for your acceptance of said facts. Often.

You present this to Vlad:

Haha…I bet you were saying the same things about him being promoted to Double-A last week. "When and why will he be promoted to Double-A? What leads you to believe he’s going to get a promotion to Double-A?"

Prove it. Dig through the posts and find it. Just like I found you talking out both sides of your mouth.Otherwise, retract what you’ve said here. Your accusation is baseless and defamatory.

“… But for as many strikeouts as has this season, I’m sure there are a lot of balls that he stung right at people that were outs …

You’re sure? How so? You obviously do little or no research. I’ll wager, however, that those balls in play are charted and verifiable, if only you’d take 5 minutes to search the internet before spouting off. But, of course, that’s not your style, is it?

“…and seeing a higher level of pitching is only going to challenge him and allow him to get better. …”

And you know this how?

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 22, 2009 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agh.

You beat me to refuting the post. Well done, however.

by Isotopes on Jun 22, 2009 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

S'ok, amigo.

Just remember,as you navigate through BD, that I’m the “some people around here” that “aren’t so nice.”

;-)

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 22, 2009 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha… I just know.

by mspirate on Jun 23, 2009 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He has to continue to work on his plate discipline, and seeing a higher level of pitching is only going to challenge him and allow him to get better.

He did when he went from college to High A, and his plate discipline didn’t get better.

But for as many strikeouts as has this season, I’m sure there are a lot of balls that he stung right at people that were outs. His average could be higher. That’s just baseball.

And I’m sure he has hit a dribbler that the third baseman couldn’t field, which was ruled a hit. So maybe his average could be lower.

by Isotopes on Jun 22, 2009 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

(gasp!)

That can’t be true!

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 22, 2009 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As far as the plate discipline goes, college and professional ball are two entirely different things. Once again, this is Pedro’s first year of professional ball, and on top of that, he went straight to high A ball from college. That’s like going from Double-A straight to the majors. Your plate discipline may have been great against your normal competition (Double-A), but when you’re seeing guys in the bigs throwing 95+, sharp, diving sliders, curveballs that are dropping from your neck to the top of your shoes, and overall superior stuff that you’re not used to seeing, your plate discipline is going to slip a bit until you get adjusted because you simply haven’t seen that kind of stuff before, and it’s a lot better than anything you’re seeing at the Double-A level. There’s an adjustment period because the quality of stuff gets better the higher up you go, which is exactly why I think this promotion could help Pedro. Double-A pitching is obviously the best pitching Pedro is going to see up to this point, and knowing that can help him really focus and concentrate more (not saying that he wasn’t at Lynchburg) on picking up the spin and the trajectory of the ball out of the pitcher’s hand. Is his discipline going to get better immediately? I don’t know, but seeing better pitching certainly can’t hurt him.

As far as the average goes, you’re right. There probably were some dribblers he hit in the infield that the fielders just couldn’t get to that went down as hits. His average could be lower. But you’re not going to hit nearly as many slow, swinging bunts as you are hard line drives right at the fielders. No, I don’t have every stat available on hard line drive outs/dribblers that are on the Internet like I’m sure cocktails has because I don’t have all the time in the world to look up every stat imaginable, but typically, a player is going to hit a lot more line drives and one hoppers right at people than they are little dribblers. But you’re right, his average could be lower if it weren’t for some cheap hits that he got as well. That’s baseball for you.

by mspirate on Jun 23, 2009 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pedro’s line drive percentage is 8.0% this year . That is pretty crappy. Looks like he has hit 14 line drives in 240 AB, 10 of which have gone for hits.

http://minorleaguesplits.com

Pittsburgh Lumber Co.
http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco

by MBandi on Jun 23, 2009 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmmmm...

“No, I don’t have every stat available on hard line drive outs/dribblers that are on the Internet like I’m sure cocktails has because I don’t have all the time in the world to look up every stat imaginable, but typically, a player is going to hit a lot more line drives and one hoppers right at people than they are little dribblers.”

No, I haven’t, but apparently someone else has.

How long did that take, MBandi? Three or four minutes, or “all the time in the world”?

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Jun 23, 2009 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You can't rely on some baseball version of Manifest Destiny...

…to project the course of Alvarez’s career.

Yes, he’s been regarded as a “unique talent” and all that rigamarole. So was Mark Merchant. Draft pedigree and scouting accolades will only take you so far – at some point, you have to earn it on the field.

by Vlad on Jun 23, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I Don't Get It

His stats are totally mediocre and he gets a promotion? What gives? I know that everybody expected him to be the stud of the century, but wishing ain’t gonna make it so. If the guy can’t hit A-ball pitching, how’s he gonna hit AA-ball pitching?

by Androgen Jar Jimmy on Jun 22, 2009 4:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Because he is the first round draft pick with $6M riding on him.....

What rule says he has to master a level to move up? The PBC scouts obviously see him hitting the ball well and striking out due to being pitched around. We will see how this plays out in Altoona, but I would rather he move up sooner than later. The closer he gets to the bigs, the more his real flaws will play out and remove our speculation.

by vanslyke on Jun 22, 2009 9:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs