I didn’t go into spring training expecting to be this enthusiastic about nine plate appearances from a 19-year-old, but here we are. Ignacio “Nacho” Alvarez was Atlanta’s 155th pick in the 4th round of the 2022 MLB draft and a strong showing in the Grapefruit League should give Braves fans a reason to be excited. 

Alvarez was taken $140,000 over slot value in last year’s draft.  The 5’ 9”,190 pounder was selected out of Riverside City College (CA), where he slashed .370/.494/.582 over 48 games. He also carried a 13-game hitting streak and had 21 multi-hit games with the Tigers. This campaign earned him Orange Empire Conference First Team and ABCA All-American Honors. He was also awarded MVP of his college summer league All-Star game.  

Does that success translate to a major league organization? So far, so good. He’s played in 15 games in both the Florida Complex League and A ball in the Carolina Leage for the Braves and the numbers still look great. In 122 games he’s rocking a .287/.451/.391 (.844) slash line. What really stands out is the K/BB ratio. 26 walks and 15 strikeouts shows a lot of plate discipline for someone in this age range. His OBP got up to .493 through 71 plate appearances in Augusta (19/9). While he’s only hit one home run with the Braves, many believe that the power will come with time. The slugging percentages suggest as much. 

Alvarez was invited to big league camp this spring and did not disappoint in a small sample size. He put up an .889 OPS in 9 trips to the plate and only stuck out twice while recording as many doubles. Field action was very limited as Alvarez was primarily used in the DH role. He was used in several games where a few other seasoned prospects would typically get at bats, and I think that decision is warranted. The club clearly wanted to get a good look at the young slugger, and he showed them what they wanted to see.

A good hit tool is a precious commodity in this league and the Braves may have found one in Ignacio Alvarez. With one of the lowest ranked farm systems in baseball, it will be fascinating to see how quickly the front office moves him up the ranks to Rome and Gwinnett. I don’t think you’ll hear much about Nacho through mainstream media in the next couple of years, but if you go looking for his numbers yourself, you just might like what you find. I sure have.