Yadier Alvarez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #15 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The Dodger stunned the industry when they signed Alvarez for $16 million in 2015 despite the fact he failed to make Cuba's junior national team because he was so wild. After teasing progress in his 2016 debut, Alvarez fell back into his wild ways in 2017 and melted down at Double-A Tulsa in 2018. He missed the first three months with a groin strain, had nearly as many walks (43) as strikeouts (52) in 48.1 innings after he returned, and reportedly left the team briefly in September after a disagreement with management, although the Dodgers dispute the details of that account.
  
  Scouting Report: Alvarez's flaws are tolerated because he tantalizes with an easy 95-99 mph fastball. He generates plus arm speed and is hard to pick up, helping his fastball play despite the fact it's often left over the plate. Both his upper 80s slider and 12-to-6 curveball flash above-average-to-plus, but he has no control of either of them. Alvarez's control is well below-average and results in frequent non-competitive pitches, although a move to the stretch full-time late in the year yielded improvement.
  
  The Future: Alvarez flashes moments of a power fastball and two plus breaking balls, and that's what evaluators hold onto. He'll try to show he's improved and matured in 2019.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #5 prospect in 2018
  Alvarez had a big arm as a teenager in Cuba but failed to make the country's 18U national team because he was so wild. He popped up in the Dominican Republic throwing even harder, and the Dodgers signed him for an industry-stunning $16 million. After showing promise in his 2016 U.S. debut, his longstanding control problems resurfaced in 2017. Alvarez is built like a scout's dream with a six-pack core, long limbs and comically easy velocity. He sits 95-99 mph as a starter with shockingly little effort, and his 86-88 mph slider shows plus movement and depth. The problem is both his fastball and slider play down to due to poor control and command. Lots of contact is made on Alvarez's fastball despite its velocity because he can't spot it, and he rarely lands his slider in the zone. He also lacks a third pitch with zero feel for an 87-90 mph changeup. The result was a 5.31 ERA at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga and 6.8 walks per nine innings at Double-A Tulsa. Alvarez's youth and big velocity make him a big leaguer in evaluators eyes, but almost universally in the bullpen. He draws frequent comparisons with Neftali Feliz as someone too limited to be a starter, but electric enough to possibly be a first-
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #2 prospect in 2017
  In 2014, Alvarez couldn't make Cuba's 18U junior national team in 2014, as he walked 35 in 31 innings in the country's 18U youth league. Yet when Alvarez popped up in the Dominican Republic, his fastball skyrocketed and the Dodgers signed him for $16 million. Alvarez is a good athlete who fires explosive stuff with remarkably little effort. With a free-and-easy delivery, Alvarez's electric fastball explodes on hitters, sitting at 94-97 mph and reaching 101. He has shortened his loose arm action as a pro to add deception and create a more repeatable arc, which helped his control. Fastball command, however, is still a focal point. Beyond a lively, overpowering fastball, Alvarez has a plus curveball that, when it's on, is a true putaway pitch. He hasn't thrown his changeup much, so it's inconsistent, but it flashes plus with late tail and could become a plus pitch once he uses it more. Alvarez only threw 59 innings and his longest outing was five innings--something he did in just five of his 14 starts--so his durability is still unknown. Alvarez is a tantalizing mix of immense potential with high risk and minimal track record. If he can maintain his stuff over a full season's workload, he can develop into a frontline starter.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #7 prospect in 2017
  Alvarez was not overly successful in the Cal League and struggled with his control after a promotion to Double-A but showed enough of a foundation that many still view him highly. Alvarez is strong, athletic and throws a 95-99 mph fastball with remarkable ease, and he flashed a swing-and-miss 86-88 slider he buried against righthanded batters. "The fastball velocity is there, the breaking pitches are there, it's just a matter of him continuing to develop those pitches," Lancaster manager Fred Ocasio said. "Once he figures those out, he's going to be pretty good." Alvarez has poor command of his fastball, lacks feel for his 87-90 mph changeup and struggles landing his slider in the strike zone. Those issues resulted in a walk rate of 4.9 per nine innings and ran up his pitch counts to the point he failed to reach five innings in 13 of his 21 outings. Most evaluators project Alvarez as a high-leverage reliever rather than a starter because of those limitations.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #2 prospect in 2016
  Alvarez was one of the jewels of the Dodgers' 2015 international period, signing in July for $16 million. He finally made it to the U.S. partway through spring training in 2016 and impressed observers as quickly as his electric right arm delivered 100 mph fastballs. "(He's) learning how to be part of a team and getting used to pitching against different types of competition," longtime Dodgers manager John Shoemaker said. The Dodgers kept Alvarez in Arizona to allow him to acclimate to life in the U.S. He moved to low Class A in mid-July after showing off his athleticism and extremely loose arm. He uses a three-quarters to high three-quarters arm slot he repeats well. He hides the ball well in his delivery, allowing his pitches to get on batters quickly. His fastball ranged from 94-100 mph and it's very easy velocity. Alvarez gets good angle on a plus low-80s curveball and late action on an 84-88 mph slider. He didn't use his changeup very often, but it flashed plus at times and is best as a harder pitch from 86-91 mph.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #26 prospect in 2017

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  A groin strain nagged Alvarez through the early part of the season and depressed both his velocity and control before he was placed on the disabled list on May 6. Alvarez looked excellent in spring training, sitting 94-98 mph on his fastball and showing above-average to plus on both his slider and curveball, but the injury prevented him from showing that when he got out to Tulsa. He is currently rehabbing at the Dodgers complex in Arizona.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Alvarez had a big arm as a teenager in Cuba but failed to make the country's 18U national team because he was so wild. He popped up in the Dominican Republic throwing even harder, and the Dodgers signed him for an industry-stunning $16 million. After showing promise in his 2016 U.S. debut, his longstanding control problems resurfaced in 2017. Scouting Report: Alvarez is built like a scout's dream with a six-pack core, long limbs and comically easy velocity. He sits 95-99 mph as a starter with shockingly little effort, and his 86-88 mph slider shows plus movement and depth. The problem is both his fastball and slider play down to due to poor control and command. Lots of contact is made on Alvarez's fastball despite its velocity because he can't spot it, and he rarely lands his slider in the zone. He also lacks a third pitch with zero feel for an 87-90 mph changeup. The result was a 5.31 ERA at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga and 6.8 walks per nine innings at Double-A Tulsa. The Future: Alvarez draws frequent comparisons with Neftali Feliz as someone too limited to be a starter but electric enough to possibly be a first-division closer.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: In 2014, Alvarez couldn't make Cuba's 18U junior national team in 2014, as he walked 35 in 31 innings in the country's 18U youth league. Yet when Alvarez popped up in the Dominican Republic, his fastball skyrocketed and the Dodgers signed him for $16 million. Scouting Report: Alvarez is a good athlete who fires explosive stuff with remarkably little effort. Alvarez's electric fastball explodes on hitters, sitting at 94-97 mph and reaching 101. He has shortened his loose arm action as a pro to add deception and create a more repeatable arc, which helped his control. Fastball command, however, is still a focal point. Beyond a lively, overpowering fastball, Alvarez has a plus curveball that, when it's on, is a true putaway pitch. He hasn't thrown his changeup much, so it's inconsistent, but it flashes plus with late tail and could become a plus pitch once he uses it more. Alvarez only threw 59 innings and his longest outing was five innings--something he did in just five of his 14 starts--so his durability is still unknown.
  
  The Future: Alvarez is a tantalizing mix of immense potential with high risk and minimal track record. If he can maintain his stuff over a full season's workload, he can develop into a frontline starter.