GABRIEL ALVARADO

5/19/87; NDFA '06; Venezuela
R/R; 6-0, 175

Level

W-L-Sv

BB/9

K/9

WHIP

OAVG

ERA

2006 VSL

3-3-0

54.2

4.94

1.35

.218

2.96

2007 VSL

8-4-0

70.2

2.29

4.97

1.22

.250

2.67

2008 A-

0-1-0

2.1

11.57

3.86

3.00

.364

11.57

2008 R

4-3-0

50.1

2.15

4.11

1.17

.249

3.04

Alvarado had an ugly K/BB ratio in 2006, although his GB/FB ratio was over 2-to-1. He got a chance to win a spot in the GCL after just one season in a Latin American summer league, which is unusual with the Pirates, so they must have been impressed with something about him. He didn't make it, though. He improved in his second VSL season, although he still didn't strike out many hitters. He stuck in the GCL in 2008 and was one of the mainstays in the team's rotation. He still, however, had an extremely low K rate. The Pirates cited Alvarado as one of the most promising players on their GCL roster, but it's hard to see him going far unless he misses a lot more bats. He'll probably be at State College in 2009, although he could make an appearance at West Virginia when the inevitable injuries and promotions hit.

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