Alvarez settles in after splashy debut
In his first game Sunday at Minute Maid Park, Yordan Alvarez displayed both power and patience at the plate in a performance that 35,000 witnessed in person and that, 20 years hence, probably 350,000 will claim to have seen with their own eyes.
But with the excitement of Alvarez’s major league debut out of the way, now comes the grind: learning how to read the many permutations of what can happen within the cozy confines of left field in downtown Houston.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday that he wants Alvarez to get a feel for left field before he plays him there in a game, which translates to hours of pregame work over the five
days that remain in the Astros’ current homestand.
“He’s going to have to play left field,” Hinch said. “He’s not going to be a DH only. He’s way too young for that, and we need to move our roster around a little bit.
“He’ll get some work Tuesday and Wednesday, and I’ll consider over the weekend.”
The 315-foot dimensions of Minute Maid’s left field, plus the nooks and crannies of the metal scoreboard beneath the Crawford Boxes and the 105-degree wall angle that juts toward the visitors’ bullpen, take time to master, and the time to start learning is now.
Alvarez played all but 11 of 56 games at Class AAA Round Rock in left, with two starts in right and nine at first base. First base, Hinch said Sunday, is not a likely destination for Alvarez at this point, so left field or designated hitter will be his slot for the foreseeable future.
Michael Brantley has been the Astros’ primary left fielder and barring injury will continue in that role, with occasional detours to the DH role. Derek Fisher, Josh Reddick, Tony Kemp, Miles Straw and Aledmys Diaz also have spent time in left.
While it’s possible Alvarez could see some outfield time this week if circumstances dictate or allow, he almost certainly will do so when the Astros hit the road for trips to Cincinnati, where the DH will not be in play, and Yankee Stadium.
“When we’re playing in a National League ballpark next week, I’m not giving him three days off. He’s going to play one of those days in the outfield,” Hinch said.
With days off Monday and Thursday plus the three-game trip to Cincinnati and two early July games in Denver, the Astros conceivably will carry 13 position players through the All-Star break. Alvarez’s promotion coincided with the demotion of lefthander Reymin Guduan.
“He’s going to have the advantage of having a lot of veteran guys in here and guys with experience in what he is going to go through.”
George Springer on Astros rookie Yordan Alvarez
Exceptional power
While Alvarez learns the nuances of being a big league outfielder, his power at the plate is an accepted fact. He took an 84 mph changeup from Orioles starter Dylan Bundy on Sunday and delivered it at 107 mph in the opposite direction onto the Home Run Porch in left-center field during the Astros’ 4-0 win over Baltimore.
“There’s not a ballpark that can hold him,” Hinch said. “He’s got power to any part of the thing. (But) the thing that impressed me the most has been his discipline. He knows a ball from a strike. He is very athletic in the batter’s box despite the size (6-5, 225 pounds).”
Alvarez displayed his patience in taking an eighthinning walk in his fourth plate appearance Sunday. But fans came out to see him homer, and, based on their reaction when it happened, that’s what his teammates wanted to see as well.
“If you go 1-0, changeup, upper tank, decent day,” said third baseman Alex Bregman. “It’s going to be fun to have him. It was awesome. What a great swing. He’s having an unbelievable year. I can’t wait for him to continue it up here.”
Alvarez acknowledged through a translator that he was nervous for his first atbat but benefited from the advice of teammates to stay comfortable at the plate and stick with the same approach he has used with such success this season in the minor leagues.
“It was a great feeling, an especially great feeling to hit that first home run in the big leagues,” he said. “I’m very happy, very excited and anxious to be on the phone and talk to my friends and family.”
In an interview with the website LaVidaBaseball.com, Alvarez said he homered in financial self-defense.
“Everybody told me that I needed to hit a home run or else they’d have to fine me,” he said. “Everybody, (Carlos) Correa, the pitchers, they told me if I didn’t hit a home run, they’d fine me. I hit a home run. I don’t have to pay a fine.”
He also told the website that he looked forward to sharing news of his debut with his parents after calling them Saturday to inform them he was headed to Houston from Class AAA.
“They were quiet for a moment, and then they were able to talk,” he said. “And they were very happy.
“They were super happy. It’s something we’ve been waiting for. We left our country (Cuba) for this objective. To give them the news that we’ve accomplished it is something very important.”
Been there, done that
Alvarez joins a clubhouse filled with players familiar with the pressures of great expectations, among them Correa, who had an RBI single in his 2015 debut off Chris Sale; George Springer, who debuted in 2014 against the Royals; Bregman, who endured an 0-for-17 start before his first big league hit in 2016; and Derek Fisher, who homered in his 2017 Astros debut.
Having raised expectations even higher with his debut, Springer said, Alvarez now must learn to cope with the inevitable ups and downs of life in baseball.
“He’s going to have to understand who he is, the stuff he can do and to try to stay within himself,” Springer said. “He’s going to have the advantage of having a lot of veteran guys in here and guys with experience in what he is going to go through.”
Alvarez was signed as an international free agent in 2016 by the Dodgers and was acquired by the Astros in August 2016 in exchange for righthanded pitcher Josh Fields. His progress, Hinch said, represents the efforts of a lot of people, as well as Alvarez’s own efforts.
“From (senior scouting adviser) Charlie Gonzalez advocating for him when he was an amateur to (general manager Jeff Luhnow) making the trade and getting him through the minors and getting him up here … a lot of people should take satisfaction in his performance,” the manager said.