Former Yankees prospect is quietly thriving in the SF Giants farm system

Former New York Yankees prospect Armando Alvarez has quietly been incredibly productive in the SF Giants farm system this year.

Marc Delucchi | Jul 24, 2023

Former Yankees prospect is quietly thriving in the SF Giants farm system /

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The SF Giants signed infielder Armando Alvarez to a minor-league contract this past offseason. A former 17th-round pick by the New York Yankees, Alvarez had slowly climbed the minor-league ladder in the Bronx Bombers organization, reaching Triple-A. But the right-handed hitter is posting the best numbers of his career this season with the Sacramento River Cats. With an open spot on the Giants' 40-man roster and the MLB team struggling to hit left-handed pitching, he could soon be making his MLB debut.

New York Yankees short stop Kyle Holder throws to first as third baseman Armando Alvarez ducks out of the way. (2020) — Yankees SS Kyle Holder throws to first as 3B Armando Alvarez ducks. (2020) / Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

An early-season injury sidelined Alvarez for most of the first half of the season. However, Alvarez cruised through a short rehab stint in the Arizona Complex League before returning to Triple-A. Alvarez is hitting .331/.387/.504 with eight doubles, a triple, four home runs, 12 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 142 plate appearances in the minors this season. He also has a .389/.450/.500 triple-slash with as many walks as strikeouts against left-handed pitching.

Limited defensively, Alvarez has primarily played first and third base throughout his career. However, the Giants have begun experimenting with him at second base this season. Given the offensive struggles of San Francisco's current middle infielders, it's not out of the question that he could replace a scuffling David Villar.

Alvarez was drafted by the Yankees out of Eastern Kentucky back in 2016 and was never able to emerge as a top prospect in the Bronx Bombers' farm system. In fact, he never ranked among Baseball America's ranking of the organization's top 30 prospects.

Alvarez had a solid pro debut but struggled mightily in his first full season between Single-A and High-A. Still, the Yankees promoted him to Double-A in 2018, and he held his own in the pitcher-friendly Eastern League with a .262/.314/.440 triple-slash with 31 doubles and 11 home runs.

The Miami, Florida native continued to be a solid but unexceptional performer in the upper minors the following season, reaching Triple-A. Alvarez returned to Triple-A following the pandemic-canceled 2020 minor-league season, but he seemed to take a step forward last season. In 91 games, Alvarez hit .278/.319/.525 with a career-high 18 home runs. It's worth pointing out that the Yankees Triple-A affiliate is in a much more pitcher-friendly environment than the Pacific Coast League. Still, already 28, Alvarez's numbers were not impressive enough to be added to the 40-man roster.

Alvarez's advanced age and experience is an obvious reason to be skeptical of his performance. He's also limited defensively, having only primarily played first or third base (although he has begun playing second base this season).

That said, the SF Giants have an open spot on the 40-man roster after designating reliever Mauricio Llovera for assignment and have a dearth of right-handed power right now. Alvarez has consistently been more productive against left-handed pitching throughout his career. Perhaps after all this time, Armando Alvarez could soon get his first big-league call.

Published Jul 24, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).