Pedro Alvarez Show Returns

Pedro Alvarez wasted no time in his at bat last night.  With third round pick Jordy Mercer on base, Alvarez blasted the first pitch for a towering two-run walk off homerun to give the Hillcats their 15th comeback win of the year.

We all know Pedro’s average hasn’t been there at all this year.  He has 120AB now with 7HR and 28RBI.  He has struckout 37 times and walked 20 times.

I have seen him swinging at pitches that have been completely out of the strike zone.  It must be frustrating, but he has worked counts and taken walks.

His batting average sits at .208

With the bases empty, Alvarez is batting .188.  He has three homeruns in those situations.

With runners in scoring position, he is 10-for-40 (.250) with 21 RBI.

Alvarez has seven homers.  Six have lead to victory for his ballclub and the other tied the score.

I was speaking to Joe last night at the Nats-Phillies game and he said something profound.

Maybe he is bored?

Something to think about isn’t it.

I find it interesting that Chris Lang of the Lynchburg News Advance highlighted the matchup in his blog regarding the Hillcats’ Pedro Alvarez before he goes out and completes the dramatic last night.

"It’s been established in this spot that a lot of top-flight prospects make their way through the Carolina League. Heck, Wilmington’s 2006 opening-day lineup included two players in the bigs today—Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie.This brief three-game homestand for the Hillcats opens in less than an hour, and two of the Carolina League’s top prospects will be on display. Pittsburgh’s No. 1 prospect—third baseman Pedro Alvarez—will bat third for Lynchburg. Kansas City’s No. 1 prospect—third baseman Mike Moustakas—will hit third for Wilmington. There are more similarities between the two. Both were No. 2 overall picks in the MLB first-year player draft—Alvarez in 2008, Moustakas in 2007. Both waited until the very end to sign contracts. Both, not surprisingly, are represented by baseball super agent Scott Boras, who seemingly has the ability to wring a few extra pennies out of a lump of coal. Both were touted for their power and quick hands. Moustakas hit a California high-school record 24 home runs as a senior at Chatsworth High.The only difference is in age. Alvarez played three years at Vanderbilt and was touted as a nearly big-league ready prospect. Of course, it hasn’t worked out that way. Though Alvarez ranks third in the Carolina League with 26 RBIs, he’s batting just .200 and has struck out 36 times in 115 at-bats. Moustakas, who had an abbreviated stint in rookie league ball in Idaho Falls after signing, hit 22 home runs and drove in 71 in low-A Burlington last season. In his first year in the Carolina League, he’s got five homers and 25 RBIs, which ranks fourth in the Carolina League."

The Pirates have a product. It is baseball. One of the best players of the game is Pedro Alvarez. I find it curious why wouldn’t the Pirates have any video of this kid’s dramatic homeruns? Wouldn’t one think they would want to promote the future in some way? Perhaps even a compilation of highlights from the minor leagues. Not hatin, just sayin.