Eliezer Alvarez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #25 prospect in 2018
  Alvarez broke through with a big year at the plate for the Cardinals in 2016 in the low Class A Midwest League, so he skipped a level and went straight to the Double-A Texas League in 2017. He struggled with the jump, and a high ankle sprain in mid-May kept him out for two months. After the Phillies claimed reliever Juan Nicasio on waivers from the Pirates on Aug. 31, they turned around a week later and flipped him to the Cardinals to get Alvarez. While Alvarez's stock dropped in 2017, there's still promise he can return to his 2016 form. His strikeout rate jumped from 19 percent in 2016 to 27 percent in 2017, but he has an otherwise strong track record and a simple, balanced swing with an all-fields approach. Alvarez's swing isn't geared for power, so he projects to hit 8-12 home runs. Alvarez is an above-average runner, but his stolen bases were down in 2017 coming back from the ankle injury. Alvarez has a good arm but his hands and footwork need to improve for him to be better than a below-average defender. Alvarez could make his Phillies system debut at Double-A Reading in 2018.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #10 prospect in 2017
  An Appalachian League all-star in 2015 like teammates Magneuris Sierra and Edmundo Sosa, Alvarez hardly had the name recognition or shine of his peers. Four summers spent as a short-season denizen and several injuries gave him the look of an idle infielder. Dubbed a "five-tool player" early in his career, his career took a sharp turn with his first full-season assignment. Alvarez's .879 OPS ranked behind only heralded prospect Eloy Jimenez (Cubs) in the low Class A Midwest League, his 36 steals led the league, and no other Cardinals infielder had a slash line like his .323/.404/.476. A simple swing from the left side gives Alvarez a balanced sweep through the strike zone and ability to dart pitches to all fields. He rarely lunges or gets caught with a silly swing. Alvarez inflated his slugging percentage with smart baserunning, racing for 36 doubles. That same headiness is sometimes lacking in the field. Alvarez can ease back on grounders, invite a bad hop, and that contributed to 27 errors. He has an above-average arm for second and Cardinals feel keener attention could make him an adequate fielder at several infield positions. The manifest of Alvarez's talent was so assertive that the Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster and are leaning toward pushing him straight to Double-A.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Midwest League #19 prospect in 2016
  Finally healthy after a series of injuries since he signed in 2011, Alvarez showed off his five-tool ability at Peoria this season. Said one MWL manager: "He's not the best player, but he's my favorite player on that (Peoria) team." Alvarez's bat is his headlining tool. He has a simple lefthanded stroke that never seems off-balance. He rarely takes a bad swing and shows at least average power, as evidenced by a .476 slugging percentage that ranked third in the league. He's an average but smart baserunner who led the circuit with 36 steals. Alvarez made 27 errors at second base but still is considered at least an average fielder with an above-average arm. The errors, according to one evaluator, are of the correctable variety. He tends to lay back on ground balls at times instead of charging for the best hop.
• 
  Ranked National League #10 prospect in 2015
  Alvarez has battled a series of minor injuries since signing in July 2011, but he stayed healthy this summer and showed off electric fast-twitch ability at Johnson City. Alvarez is a true five-tool talent, with a quick lefthanded stroke and developing power at the plate. He hit 20 doubles to rank third in the league, and multiple evaluators said he could develop above-average power. Alvarez's has length to his swing and will swing and miss at times, but he showed well against velocity and offspeed stuff throughout the summer, hitting at least .300 in each month. Alvarez has double-plus speed, but it takes him a bit of time to get going out of the batter's box, so his run times to first base don't always reflect his true speed. At second base, he shows exceptional range and the ability to make plays out of his area.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: An Appalachian League all-star in 2015 like teammates Magneuris Sierra and Edmundo Sosa, Alvarez hardly had the name recognition or shine of his peers. Four summers spent as a short-season denizen and several injuries gave him the look of an idle infielder. Dubbed a "five-tool player" early in his career, his career took a sharp turn with his first full-season assignment. Alvarez's .879 OPS ranked behind only heralded prospect Eloy Jimenez (Cubs) in the low Class A Midwest League, his 36 steals led the league, and no other Cardinals infielder had a slash line like his .323/.404/.476. Scouting Report: A simple swing from the left side gives Alvarez a balanced sweep through the strike zone and ability to dart pitches to all fields. He rarely lunges or gets caught with a silly swing. Alvarez inflated his slugging percentage with smart baserunning, racing for 36 doubles. That same headiness is sometimes lacking in the field. Alvarez can ease back on grounders, invite a bad hop, and that contributed to 27 errors. He has an above-average arm for second and Cardinals feel keener attention could make him an adequate fielder at several infield positions.
  
  The Future: The manifest of Alvarez's talent was so assertive that the Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster and are leaning toward pushing him straight to Double-A.