Yordan Alvarez's potential?

Exactly. We upgraded our most pressing need - DH. We just happened to do it with the love child of Big Papi and Griffey Jr. I’m loving this.

 

I've not seen Alvarez make a play yet on anything that Dante Bichette, Matt Stairs, Greg Vaughn, Jose Canseco, Manny Ramirez, and the Giambi bros couldn't make. He hasn't played much, but I think the only data we have suggests he's a great hitter and probably worse defensively than Brantley based on not playing in the field.

 

Luhnow has put on what feels like a defensive juggernaut in the field. Seriously Brantley, Springer, Marisnick, and Reddick are B+ to A+ defensively. And Gurriel is outstanding at 1st base. Let’s say someone had to pay Alvarez 100 million dollars, they’d put him in the OF to help offset their financial commitment.

Alvarez might be a defensive liability, but is so viable offensively, that any team be it in the AL or NL would accommodate on their roster.

 

Astros never had a great hitting DH since moving to the AL... now they do.

When they go universal DH, there will be even more demand for elite hitters. I'm glad they don't have to worry about it for 6 years.

 

Brantley is not B+ in OF. He makes plays he needs to make, but that's about it. Astros positioning and Marisnick help him out a lot. I do agree that Alvarez's bat makes him viable even if he's Gattis in LF.

 

How is Brantley a B+ defensively? He is below average out there.

 

In old man (not Greg Lucas) sportswriter news, Kirk Bohls has an article about Yordan in the Austin paper today, it has factual errors (par for the course with Bohls), but here's a couple of actual quotes:

Yordan Alvarez made an early impression on his new manager with a gritty at-bat that was so intriguing A.J. Hinch still talks about it.

As the Houston Astros manager relates it, the moment came in a nine- or 10-pitch at-bat [it was 7 pitches] against New York Yankees fireballer Aroldis Chapman on the road. Alvarez had played in fewer than a dozen major league games and was still a week away from his 22nd birthday.

And he made an out. Yeah, that’s how good this kid in the grown-up body is. And how impressionable.

“He’s facing a Cuban pitcher he’s never faced before,” Hinch said this week. “He’s throwing 100 miles an hour. The game’s in Yankee Stadium. Yordan’s working him for about 10 pitches. And it pissed him off that he made an out.”
....
His one liability? His glove. Alvarez has no position. He’s an extremely poor outfielder, although they’ve used him six times in left field, and he’s probably never going to make an acceptable first baseman, either.

“He’s a DH,” Hinch said. “Can he play first base? I doubt it. He’ll be a really good DH."

Other quotes from Cole and Correa etc here: https://www.statesman.com/sports/20...ookie-alvarez-has-been-instant-hit-in-houston

 

They had a great hitting 2nd catcher who couldn't hit as a DH for whatever reason, it's not like they didn't try!

 

I'm not sure if it's been previously discussed, but I think Yordan has the potential to be very good in this league.

 

His bat might play...we need about 500 ABs to be sure.

Unless the pitchers figure him out and all, then he may go the way of JR Towles and Tyler White.

 

Remind Matt Eddy who Curt Flood is, while you're at it.

 

Jesus Christ did the Astros forget how to hit?

 

Sometimes posters post in the wrong thread and sometimes great teams only score 3 runs. They also only scored 3 runs on Sunday against a terrible team.

 

I <3 Yordan

 

Its early, but I’m going to go ahead and say “no”

 

Yeah I would say Yordan Alvarez has potential. I can't remember seeing anyone as young as him with this much power and the ability to hit the ball to all fields and the ability to see the strike zone as well as he does. I hope he stays healthy and remains an Astro for a long time.

 

When you are arguably one of the 5 best hitters in the league, it's no longer "potential".

 

If this post ages well I will be depressed.