Say What You Want, but Pedro Alvarez is a Stud

With all the prospects the Pittsburgh Pirates have attempted to accumulate over the years, none have had the pedigree of Pedro Alvarez. With the attempt made to focus on the draft the last three seasons, no pick has generated the buzz around Pittsburgh that Alvarez did. Alvarez tore through minor league pitching and in a little over a year after making his professional debut, got the call to the big leagues.


While many (me included), felt it was way to early to summon Alvarez to PNC Park, he got the call anyways. Despite Pirates General Manager Neil Huntington proclaiming just hours earlier that "Alvarez isn't ready," the Pirates front office caved in to fan backlash and called up Alvarez anyways.

What did they get in return? They got a kid that looked lost and over matched at the big league level. Pedro Cerrano had a better chance of hitting a breaking ball without the help of his trusted fried Jobu then Alvarez had a chance of making contact in any particular at bat. Pirates fans started to boo the young Alvarez and basically said "Here we go again."

Alvarez, or better know as "The Savior," got of to a whopping 9 for 57 start with 29 strikeouts. That's hitting at a .158 clip if your scoring at home. That includes riding a five-game hit streak into July 3rd as well or the numbers would be much worse.

Then on July 3rd, Alvarez connected with his first major league homer, a solo shot off of the Phillies Kyle Kendrick. Since that time, we've seen a different Alvarez. We've seen more of the player we expected to see all along and it's a great sign for the Pirates.

Take out Alvarez's horrible start and we see a different player. Since connecting with his first dinger, Pedro is hitting at a .282 clip with 6 doubles, 10 homers and 25 RBI's. That's a 30 game span and I will take those results. Project that out for an entire season and you are looking at a guy that will put up some serious numbers.

Has he looked like a rookie at times? Absolutely, and he will continue to do so. Has he looked like a stud at times as well? Absolutely, and he will have more days like this then he will bad days.

It was a special moment Saturday night when Alvarez hit his 3-run walkoff in the 10th inning against the Colorado Rockies. Pirates fans should get used to that feeling, as Alvarez will continue to put up big numbers in Pittsburgh for a long time.

McDonald Dazzles in Pirates Debut

Before I write this.  I will keep trying to write fresh stuff, but I've been posting most of my Pirates work on both Bleacher Report and Sports Haze, where I make money for writing.  I will at least keep the blog going and if I can get some help, then Operation Shutdown can get back to being fresh and entertaining.  I've also been posting at Clemente at the Bat so check that out as well.

Now for today's topic.

How many times have we seen it. The Pirates trade away a veteran and get a highly thought of prospect or a young player with “potential” in a deal; only to watch these guys fall flat on their face and struggle. When the Pirates shipped closer Octavio Dotel to the Dodgers for right handed starter James McDonald, who I’ve always been very high on, and top outfield prospect Andrew Lambo, I felt that it was a steal for Pirates General manager Neil Huntington.


My next thought became “How soon is McDonald going to develop arm problems in Pittsburgh.”

McDonald was thrown right into the Pirates rotation and for a change, a Pirates acquisition delivered immediate results in a Pirates uniform. The 26-year old right hander dazzled in his Pirates debut, throwing six shutout innings, allowing only four hits and striking out eight. More importantly is that he threw strikes, walking only one, earning the victory in a 5-1 Pirates win over the Colorado Rockies.

McDonald has a very good arm. His fastball will hit 96mph and has better than above average breaking stuff. I don’t want to make too much out of just one start, but he looked great. The results were far better than what Pirates fans are accustomed to.

If ever a team needed a young pitcher to step up and be effective it’s the Pirates. Hopefully McDonald can continue upward and become a guy that can take the ball every fifth day and turn in a quality outing. There sure isn’t anyone else on the staff currently capable of doing that.


Now the Pirates also have the worst luck with young pitchers developing arm problems, a problem I point the finger at the Pirates organization. Hopefully they’ve smartened up over the years and protect the guy.

One start or not, it’s a positive sign on a team with not too many positives lately.

NL WEST Preview

One last division to look at. Today an NL West breakdown. I think this will be a very competitive race.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Los Angeles Dodgers- I like these guys to win it. Great manager in Joe Torre. So much young talent. Manny being Manny, takes the pressure off the young guys to produce. The Dodgers have a potential all-star at almost every position. Loney, Martin, Kemp and Eithier are all young guys who will produce. Don't overlook the resigning of Furcal and Blake as they help round out a very good Dodgers lineup.

The staff is good, but not great. Billingsly is on the verge of stardom and Kuroda will be effective. Youngster Clayton Kershaw has awesome stuff. The bullpen is also very good, as John Broxton becomes the hammer at the back end of the pen. Top to bottom this is a very good team and could win the pennant. Only problem is will Manny be motivated enough to play? If the answer is yes, then this team will be very good.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks- Another team I like a ton. Great young talent everywhere. Justin Upton will the the next star, if he can cut down on the strikeouts. Striking out is a problem for the whole team, as they have a bunch of free swingers. They have a good balance of power and speed though and the on base percentage should improve.

The D'Backs have a very good staff. I put Haren and Webb up against any one-two punch in the game. The Garland signing should work out and they have a good young arm in Scherzer. A big question mark in the bullpen. Can Chad Qualls hold down the closers role effectively? If the answer is yes, it wouldn't surprise me if they won the division.

3. San Francisco Giants- The Giants could be the most improved team in baseball. They will be better offensively with youngsters Ishigawa and Sandoval. Both have some pop and will drive in runs. A couple good on base guys at the top of the order in Renteria and Winn and the G-Men should do fine offensively. Rookie catcher Buster Posey is on a fast track to possibly get called up this season, so they have a chip to possibly deal in Benji Molina.

The pitching staff will be surprisingly good. Reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum anchors a staff with some live arms. Matt Cain and Jonathen Sanchez each will win double digits, while the Randy Johnson signing could pan out. I know he's 75 years old, but he seems to do well on the west coast and he may have one good season left.

4. Colorado Rockies- I don't see much chance with these guys. The staff isn't that good and with Jeff Francis out, they're just isn't a replacement. Ulbado Jimenez will emerge as a staff ace, but other than that, I don't see much hope. Offensively, the Matt Holliday trade netted them some arms, but left a huge hole in the middle of the lineup. Garrett Atkins will fill that for most of the season, but once the Rocks are out of contention, he could be wearing a different uniform after the trade deadline. One youngster to keep an eye on is Dexter Fowler. The Rockies will have to create an everyday job in the outfield for him.

5. San Diego Padres- This team has committed to a youth movement and they have some pieces in place, but they won't be very good. Who knows where the Jake Peavy saga is at this point, but with new ownership in place he may be staying put. My guess is that he gets dealt along with Brian Giles, leaving this team with not much. It's gonna be a long season in San Diego.