Tony Alvarez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #21 prospect in 2004
  Alvarez burst onto the prospect scene in 1999 by winning MVP honors in the New York-Penn League. He made it to Pittsburgh for a September callup in 2002 but had an up-and-down Triple-A season last year. He was suspended for a week because of an undisclosed disciplinary problem and didn't get promoted in September. Alvarez is a high-average hitter who hits line drives and has gap power. His speed allows him to steal bases and play any of the three outfield positions. Alvarez is an aggressive player who's willing to dive for balls and take an extra base. His style also gets him into trouble, however, as he runs into too many outs on the bases and plays singles into triples when he gets reckless on defense. He also doesn't show enough patience at the plate. His hot-dog antics rankle opponents and, at times, the Pirates. Alvarez' star isn't nearly as bright as it was entering last season. He'll have to return to Triple-A and have a good year to win his way back into the organization's good graces.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #6 prospect in 2003
  Alvarez burst onto the scene as the short-season New York-Penn League's MVP in 1999 at Williamsport and has continued to blossom into a prospect. He was second in the Double-A Eastern League in hits and batting last season while ranking third in doubles. Alvarez also impressed during a September callup, his first major league action. Alvarez can hit for average and find the gaps with his line-drive swing. He has the potential to blossom into a power hitter with more strength and experience. Alvarez also has speed and basestealing ability. He has good range and a decent arm in center field. Alvarez plays with great enthusiasm but sometimes gets out of control and over-swings or dives for balls he has no chance of catching. He's a good two-strike hitter but needs to learn to work counts better and stay back on breaking balls. Though the Pirates never did find a regular center fielder last season, they'll resist the temptation to move Alvarez into the lineup at the start of 2003. He'll begin this season at Triple-A Nashville and challenge for a major league roster spot in 2004.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #6 prospect in 2002
  Alvarez first came into prominence in 1999, when he was named New York-Penn League MVP. He has continued to progress up the ladder and was promoted to Double-A last June. Alvarez missed the final month of the 2001 season to return home to Venezuela, where his father was fighting cancer. He has settled in as an outfielder after also playing third and second base earlier in his career. Alvarez has the potential to be a power/speed player. He has good pop in his bat and it should improve as his body fills out. Alvarez also runs well and is aggressive on the bases. He has the speed to play center field but seems more comfortable in left, where he's adept at turning doubles into singles by moving quickly to the foul line. Alvarez is known to have mental lapses. He tends to run in situations where he should play it safe and swings at too many bad pitches. He almost certainly will begin the 2002 season back at Altoona after missing time at the end of last season. However, he's moving quickly and could reach Triple-A later in the year.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #18 prospect in 2001
  Alvarez came from nowhere to become the New York-Penn League's MVP in 1999. He followed that up by stealing an organization-best 52 bases last year in his first taste of full-season ball. Alvarez has the makings of a good all-around offensive player with his power and speed. He has raw power, and some scouts think he can hit 30-35 homers a year in the major leagues if he gets stronger and develops a better knowledge of the strike zone. He has a good grasp of situational hitting for a young player. Alvarez isn't a burner but is aggressive on the bases and always looks to run. His aggressiveness gets him in trouble. He swings at too many bad pitches and runs into outs on the bases, problems that will be magnified at higher levels. Though he can play all three outfield positions and both corner infield spots, he's a below-average defender. Alvarez is intriguing because of his power/speed combination, though it's too early to project him as a future star because he still has many shortcomings. He likely won't surface in the majors until 2004.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked South Atlantic League #16 prospect in 2000
  Maybe the talent on the Hickory roster was contagious. After four years in short-season leagues, Alvarez finally made it to a full-season circuit and had a stellar year. "He hits for power and average and he can play so many positions and do so many things," Loviglio said. "He’s an aggressive hitter but he’ll wait for his pitch." Able to play all three outfield spots, Alvarez also can handle either first or third base. The 1999 New York-Penn League co-MVP also is a keen baserunner who makes the most of above-average speed.
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #3 prospect in 1999
  No player elicited more opinions among league managers than the multi-talented Alvarez. Some saw him as a highly aggressive player with no fear who could make all the plays at third base. Others thought the young Venezuelan was erratic on the bases and in the field, had a wild swing and a future in the outfield or first base. Alvarez also played second base this summer. Everyone agreed Alvarez has a high ceiling offensively if he can continue to adjust to breaking balls. He has excellent bat speed and is an above-average runner. The Pirates have a strong history with New York-Penn League third basemen. In 1995 they took Freddy Garcia straight from St. Catharines to the big leagues as a major league Rule 5 selection from the Blue Jays. Aramis Ramirez was the league's top prospect as an 18-year-old in 1996 and was in Pittsburgh less than two years later.

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Maybe the talent on the Hickory roster was contagious. After four years in short-season leagues, Alvarez finally made it to a full-season circuit and had a stellar year. "He hits for power and average and he can play so many positions and do so many things," Loviglio said. "He’s an aggressive hitter but he’ll wait for his pitch." Able to play all three outfield spots, Alvarez also can handle either first or third base. The 1999 New York-Penn League co-MVP also is a keen baserunner who makes the most of above-average speed.