Braves call up top infield prospect Nacho Alvarez

Braves call up top infield prospect Nacho Alvarez

The Atlanta Braves’ top players have been dropping like flies this season. Ronald Acuna Jr. , one of the best players in baseball, tore his ACL in late May and ace Spencer Strider underwent season-ending elbow surgery in mid-April after just two starts.

Most recently, on Sunday, the team announced second baseman Ozzie Albies fractured his left wrist after attempting a tag on a stolen base attempt, expecting to sideline him for the next eight weeks.

As a result, the Braves are calling up their top position player prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. , the No. 5 prospect in their system, according to MLB Pipeline. It was first reported by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman on Sunday evening that the organization was “expecting” to call up Alvarez from Triple-A Gwinnett, though the move wasn’t made official until Monday.

In 28 games in Triple-A, Alvarez, 21, was tearing the cover off the baseball. He was slashing .336/.432/.575–a 1.007 OPS (160 wRC+)–with six doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBIs and five stolen bases. He’s got a very good eye–a 14.4 career walk rate (16.7 K%), including a 12.9 percent walk rate this season–with decent raw power.

Alvarez was the team’s fifth-round selection in 2022 after one season at Riverside City College who was touted for his defense at third base when he was in school. He’s expected to get most of his reps at second with the big-league team, however.

Despite the injuries, Atlanta’s clinging on to a four-game lead in the NL Wild Card race at 54-44. It begins a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday before hitting the road for seven straight against the Mets and Brewers.

***

SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!

SHOP for Vendetta Merch!

CHECK OUT our Vendetta MLB Content Here!

The post Braves call up top infield prospect Nacho Alvarez appeared first on Vendetta Sports Media .