Pedro Alvarez

2013

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2012

In a year of pleasant surprises, Alvarez proved to be a huge disappointment for the Bucs. The 2008 first-round draft pick compiled a slash line of .191/.272/.289 with four homers and 19 RBI in 235 at-bats. Dogged by reports of offseason weight gain, the third baseman injured a quad in April and battled to stay healthy. The Pirates demoted him to Triple-A after a trip to the disabled list, where his .797 OPS was nearly 100 points lower than his previous season (.896). He platooned at third base with Josh Harrison in September, finishing his disappointing sophomore campaign with a 24:80 BB:K ratio. General manager Neal Huntington has promised Alvarez competition for the starting job in 2012 and the team's acquisition of Casey McGehee supports that, but the low-budget Bucs have invested more than $6 million in the enigmatic power hitter and he'll get plenty of chances to show that 2011 was the outlier season and not the norm.

2011

It wasn't surprising when Alvarez won the NL Rookie of the Month award in September because he gets better with experience wherever he plays. That bodes well for Alvarez in 2011, though he and several other Pittsburgh youngsters will need to be ready when big league pitchers adjust their approach. The husky third baseman hit 16 homers and drove in 64 runs in 95 big league games, totaling 29 dingers and 117 RBI between Triple-A and the Bucs. At times, he appeared overwhelmed in the big leagues, as evidenced by a 66 percent contact rate and 37:119 BB:K ratio at the plate along with a .938 fielding percentage and -6.2 UZR rating at third base. Fantasy owners who are looking for power, however, have come to the right place. Alvarez, combined with the short right-field porch at PNC Park, figures to put up the best power numbers Pittsburgh has seen in a long time. It's a coincidence Barry Bonds and Alvarez both hit 16 home runs as rookies, but the Bucs might have their most potent offensive weapon of the last 20 years at the hot corner.

2010

Arguably Pittsburgh's best hitting prospect since Barry Bonds, Alvarez has a good chance of making his major league debut in 2010. The first-round draft pick exceeded expectations in his first professional season last summer, smacking 27 homers and driving in 95 runs while compiling a .913 OPS in 465 at-bats split between High-A and Double-A. The Pirates will most likely wait until at least June to bring him up, especially since the plan worked well with Andrew McCutchen. It almost seems inevitable that he winds up at first base in the long run, but he'll stay at third for as long as his conditioning holds up, according to general manager Neal Huntington. Alvarez's offense actually improved as his competition improved. At High-A, he hit .247/.342/.486 with a 37:70 BB:K ratio. He then put together a .333/.419/.590 mark and 34:59 BB:K ratio for Double-A Altoona. Right now, Alvarez seems like a can't miss prospect whom not even the Pirates can mess up.

2009

With off-field distractions behind him that only agent Scott Boras can wreak (his contract was re-negotiated after a technicality), Alvarez will embark on what the Pirates hope is a quick ascent through their minor-league system in 2009 after a broken hamate bone in his right hand last spring sapped his power numbers a bit last season. The third baseman, who hit 40 home runs with a .340 average his first two seasons with Vanderbilt, hit .317 with nine homers in 2008. Still, the 2008 first-round draft pick has the potential to become Pittsburgh's first 40-home run hitter since Willie Stargell in 1973. While it remains to be seen whether Alvarez can reach those lofty expectations, there's no denying that he has the most power potential at the hot corner for Pittsburgh since Aramis Ramirez.