Getting to Know Cubs Draft Pick: Edgar Alvarez |
To say this was a strange draft for the Cubs was an understatement, as many of their picks after the second round were selected based on potential rather than results. That is a dangerous road to take, especially when you look at the team's current position, but Jed Hoyer and company will live and die by their strategy this year.
With the 242nd overall selection (eighth-round pick), the Cubs continued to focus on bats first on days one and two and selected 1B Edgar Alvarez from Nicholls State. Another big bat in terms of size, Alvarez stands at 6-4 and checks in at 225 pounds, which is great size for a 1B. He is also a left handed bat which is something the Cubs MLB lineup lacks a ton of and they are hoping he can turn into a player worth keeping tabs on for the next several seasons. Alvarez has been a staple in the middle of the Nicholls state lineup the past few seasons, but it was this past season when he finally broke out and showed his true potential. After combining to hit .310 with 16 homers and 88 RBIs in his first two collegiate seasons, Alvarez nearly doubled his home run total this past season as he finally started to tap into his power more consistently. He finished the season with 13 homers and 67 RBIs, both of which nearly surpassed what he did in his first two college seasons. However, the one aspect of his game that is not talked about is his overall hitting ability. Alvarez played in 58 games this season and managed to hit .405. He also walked 53 times compared to just 32 strikeouts, as controlling the strike zone was a huge factor in his success. No one is expecting him to do that at the pro level, but if he can come in and perform anywhere close to that, the Cubs have a great player who could go down as one of the day two steals in this year's draft. Alvarez has been a fan favorite everywhere he has been, and hopefully, soon, he can become a Cubs fan favorite. When you look at the numbers he has posted, it's no surprise that he has taken home plenty of awards, but the list is so long that we would only do it by including all of them. Instead, look at all the hardware he has taken home this past season. Following a great 2023 season, Alvarez took home Southland First Team honors, All-Southland Defensive honors, All-Southland Tournament honors, All academic honors, and an all-Louisiana honor. In other words, he was one of the best players for the entire season, and it's no secret that his success came from his work. Alvarez is one of those guys who can be an impactful slugger at any level and should become a middle-of-the-line threat from day one. He was one of the purest hitters in this year's draft class and continued to get better from one season to the next, which his numbers showed and indicated. His first two seasons in college were solid, but after belting double-digit homers this past season, Alvarez started to show his full potential, and the underlying data back that up. Anytime you can go through a season and hit north of .400 and have the walk-to-strikeout ratio that he had, it's no surprise that he has some of the best bat-to-ball contact skills in this year's draft. He very seldom chases pitches outside of the zone, and when you leave him something to hit, he makes some of the loudest contact in this year's draft. He works counts, knows how to recognize a pitch, makes hard contact, and, from all accounts, has few holes in his offensive approach. However, it could be his defense that prevents him from moving through the system. At first base, he is an average fielder at best. Throw in his lack of top-end speed, and he isn't a great defender, which doesn't fit well with how the Cubs built their MLB roster. That is where the DH spot comes into play, as his bat is good enough now to be an everyday DH in the Minors, and the Cubs are going to do what they have to do to get him in a lineup and fast. At 23 years old, Alvarez is one of the older players in this year's draft, which is also something to keep an eye on. The longer it takes him to put it together in the Minors, the less likely fans will see him. Regardless, this may be considered a reach by most, but the production says otherwise, and this is a great value pick for the Cubs. Chicago Cubs select Edgar Alvarez with Pick No. 242 in the 2024 MLB Draft. Alvarez is a super fun metric darling out of Nicholls State#CollegeBaseball #MLBDraft
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