X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Yordan Alvarez Debuts... and It's Everything We Hoped For

Six weeks ago, we heralded the arrival of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Two weeks ago, we lamented the call-ups of Derek Fisher and Myles Straw. All the while, Yordan Alvarez waited patiently in the minors, ripping the cover off the ball.

And now, the time has come. Alvarez is up with the big club and announced his presence immediately with a two-run homer in his first game as an Astro.

You obviously remember my column from a few weeks ago where I declared Alvarez this year's American League Rookie of the Year-in-waiting. At last, he can make good on that prediction. Let's see what Alvarez can bring to the table.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Background

First, let's review his background, for those unfamiliar. Alvarez is a native Cuba who played two years in his home country. He started at the age of 16, struggling in his first year of professional ball. He improved his plate discipline greatly the following year, hitting .351 with just 10 strikeouts over 111 at-bats. He was signed by the Dodgers at 18 but was then traded to Houston in exchange for reliever Josh Fields.

In his first year of Rookie ball, Alvarez made 57 plate appearances and hit .341 with more walks (12) than strikeouts (seven). He kept it going, batting .360 at the low-A level and started to show some power with nine home runs in 32 games. He kept progressing in Double-A, slashing .325/.389/.615 with 12 HR in 169 at-bats but then struggled a bit once he reached Triple-A, batting .259 with lesser power numbers over nearly the same timeframe. For that reason, he wasn't at the top of the radar for impact prospects heading into this year.

In 56 games and 256 plate appearances for Triple-A Round Rock in 2019, Alvarez tormented pitchers to the tune of a .343/.443/.742 slash line with 23 HR, 71 RBI. The PCL is known to be a hitter-friendly league but he was the cream of the crop, ranking first in home runs and runs batted in, second in slugging and on-base percentage, and seventh in batting average. This includes a mini-slump that coinciding with the call-ups of Fisher and Straw, which probably depressed him almost as much as fantasy owners who had been stashing him for weeks. Alvarez had nothing to prove in the minors and finally forced Houston GM Jeff Luhnow's hand.

In most other farm systems, Alvarez would be at the top of the prospect list and potentially made the 25-man roster out of spring training. In Houston, there is an embarrassment of riches and having Alvarez in the lineup is simply a luxury. He was a top-100 overall prospect heading into 2019, ranked as high as 34 by Baseball America. At 21 years of age, Alvarez has shown some ability but didn't stand out until this year. Service time was no longer an issue, so why the delay?

 

Slow Your Roll

As much as we all want to anoint him the Next Big Thing®, there are legitimate reasons Alvarez didn't reach the majors right away and they don't have to do with service time.

First, it seems Luhnow was a bit gunshy after last year's failed experiment with Kyle Tucker. As he said to the Houston Chronicle, “The same people who were clamoring for Kyle Tucker to come up because he was destroying AAA pitching are the same people now clamoring for Yordan Alvarez to come up. If he is coming up, he’s coming up to play, and if he comes up and hits .210, that’s not going to help our team. I need to make sure he’s going to help our team.” So far so good. Then again, it's been one game.

The other issue is where he fits in, as young players don't typically slot in at DH immediately. As Luhnow said back in late April, “He’s working on his defense right now and making sure he can play at least an average left field if he comes up here, because we’re going to need him to play in the field. The bat seems to be the carrying tool for him and the power is there." Yes, the bat is indeed there. The defense has never been and may never be a strong suit, so his playing time may be completely dependent on his bat.

He played DH in his first Major League game and could stay there for the foreseeable future, as a replacement for Tyler White, who has been the worst hitter on one of the majors' best offensive teams. Ideally, the Astros find a way to make him the primary DH. At the very least, they could put Alvarez in a lefty/righty platoon with Yuli Gurriel at first base in order to get him on the field.

Finally, while Alvarez didn't have any problem with left-handers in the minors, he could be slow-played against lefties if he does struggle at all in his first taste of action. He had the benefit of facing Dylan Bundy and the O's in his debut, which gives any hitter a good chance for a long ball. On Tuesday, the Astros face Freddy Peralta and the Brewers in what could be Alvarez's second MLB game. Facing a young right-hander who has allowed eight HR in seven starts, we could be in store for another power display. Still, it's hard to tell how much time Alvarez will get against lefties and whether the promotion will even last once George Springer and Carlos Correa come off the IL.

Keeping Luhnow's words in mind, it could just take a bad stretch for Alvarez to get yanked down to Triple-A again. Kyle Tucker still hasn't found his way back, as the team wants to make sure he doesn't flop again - as much was said about Alvarez. That hard-earned FAAB bid could pay off in huge dividends or it could go straight out the window if he is back in Round Rock by July.

 

Rookie of the Year Material?

Yordan Alvarez is the hottest prospect du jour and a must-add in all formats based on his scorching pace in the minors. But should you burn all your FAAB on someone who may not stick on the roster?

Houston hasn't needed any help with their lineup this year; they currently rank second in team average at .267, fourth with 106 home runs and eighth with 342 runs scored. That changed when Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, and George Springer all hit the IL recently. The team was in no rush to bring Alvarez up but finally had no choice due to numerous injuries. That said, Springer should be back before the All-Star break, although no return date has been set. Once the starters are back, Alvarez could be a victim of the numbers crunch. His lack of defensive prowess or versatility could lead the team to keep a player like Straw, who has taken reps at shortstop, or Fisher, who is far speedier, instead.

Any fantasy owner outside of the shallowest of leagues should have interest in Alvarez and he's worth a massive bid based on his enormous raw power. Be warned that his time in the majors isn't guaranteed to be a long one, though. When comparing him to a player like Austin Riley, who has already entrenched himself as an everyday player in Atlanta, it's best not to be overly optimistic that Alvarez will match that production over the course of the season. Then again, we are talking about the impending Rookie of the Year... screw it, go all in!

More MLB Prospects Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP