Phillies Top 10 Prospects: #6 – Jorge Alfaro
By Matt Veasey
The Philadelphia Phillies Top 10 Prospects countdown continues here at TBOH with the #6 player on our list.
As the 2015 season rolled along and, as expected, the Phils faded to the bottom of the standings in the National League East Division, the expectations and rumors involving a trade of ace lefty Cole Hamels grew louder and louder.
Finally as the trade deadline loomed, a deal was struck. The Phillies shipped their former NLCS and World Series MVP southwest and to the other league, trading Hamels to the Texas Rangers along with lefty reliever Jake Diekman.
In return, the Phillies received a six-player package of veteran lefty starting pitcher Matt Harrison and five prospects: pitchers Jake Thompson, Alec Asher, and Jerad Eickhoff, outfielder Nick Williams, and the player who comes in at #6 on our TBOH Phillies Top 10 Prospects list, catcher Jorge Alfaro.
In actuality, Alfaro finished tied with pitcher Franklyn Kilome when the points tabulation was completed on our seven staff members voting. Alfaro was bumped into the 6-spot on the strength of four staffers who placed him in the Top 5 of their individual ballots.
Alfaro has been a highly considered prospect for the last couple of seasons. The folks at MLB Pipeline have him as the Phillies’ 5th best prospect, while Baseball Prospectus has him at #8 on their list. Baseball America ranked him as the Phils’ #5 prospect back in early November in a list that was published prior to the Houston trade, which brought in more top, young talent.
There is some question on Alfaro as to whether or not he will be able to remain at the catcher position. Some of that involves Alfaro himself, and his specific skills and limitations. Some revolves around the fact that the Phillies system is suddenly bulging with solid talent at the position, including the organization’s 2015 Paul Owens Award winner, Andrew Knapp, highlighted earlier in this top prospects series.
More from That Balls Outta Here
- Prospect Andrew Baker could help Phillies bullpen in 2023
- Bryce Harper’s absence should lead to Phillies lineup tinkering
- Phillies rumors: Club targets Seth Lugo for possible bullpen role
- Pirates’ bizarre Vince Velasquez hype video will make Phillies fans laugh
- Acquiring Brandon Marsh gave the Phillies flexibility
“We did get him as a catcher,” said former GM Ruben Amaro Jr to CSNPhilly following completion of the trade. “The beauty of Alfaro is that this guy can swing the bat and is so athletic that he can play another position if the catching thing doesn’t work out. But he’s made great strides over the last few years, particularly with his work behind the plate, and we hope that he can impact us behind the plate.”
Our Ethan Witte gave Alfaro the 5-spot on his list, as did Tyler DiSalle. Ethan spoke to a possible position switch: “My opinion is that he should be moved to RF already,” said Witte. “That way he can focus on the thunder in his bat as opposed to having to worry about handling a staff as well as hitting.”
David Mosemann only had Alfaro at #9 on his list, while Mike Azzalina put him down at the #8 spot, and is skeptical about his ability to remain behind the dish as well.
“I honestly don’t love Alfaro, but he has a couple of parts to his game that can help him excel past average regular. At the same time, he has a ton that could limit him to a well-below average regular. He has unlimited power potential and a cannon for a right arm. However, his impatient approach is a detriment to the power, and the rest of his skills behind the plate make me see him in an outfield spot. They still have a ton of time to let him develop if Cameron Rupp and/or Andrew Knapp continue their individual success.”
On the flip side, our Alexis Girardo not only likes him, but likes him behind the plate. She and Ryan Gerstel each placed him up in the 4th spot on their individual lists. Girardo commented: “I love his power and his strong arm. I think if he can stick at catcher, he will be an all-star.”
Gerstel used the same “A” word in reference to Alfaro’s potential: “While still an unfinished product, Alfaro is primed to be the successor to Carlos Ruiz behind the plate for the Phillies. Unlike Ruiz, Alfaro projects to be an offensive catcher with raw power. He still needs to refine his defense and plate discipline, but he could be an All-Star-caliber catcher at the major league level.“
I was the “tweener” in the group, ranking him in my own #6 slot, which is right where he falls in our overall TBOH staff ranking. Alfaro has all the tools to remain behind the plate. He is surely going to hit, and likely for power. Is he Mike Piazza? That might sound like sacrilege to most people. After all, the Norristown product is about to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But I see similarities at the same stage of development.
At the time of the deal, Alfaro was out with an ankle injury suffered in early June. He ended up having surgery to repair ligament damage in the left ankle. Amaro commented in that same CSNPhilly piece regarding the injury. “I think he damaged a ligament sheath. I’m not a doctor so I don’t know all the ins and outs of it, but we felt comfortable enough to go ahead and move forward without feeling that it is going to be a long-term issue for him as a catcher.”
He was able to play in the Venezuelan Winter League with La Guaira, where he produced 11 hits including one home run over 44 plate appearances. Alfaro had missed two months back in 2012 with a strained hamstring, and missed a month of the 2013 season after fracturing his hand.
Alfaro signed with the Rangers all the way back on January 19th, 2010 as a 16-year old out of his native Colombia for a $1.3 million signing bonus that was a record at the time for any Colombian prospect. He has displayed cat-like quickness and agility behind the plate, a cannon of an arm with good pop times, and leadership abilities handling pitchers at his playing level. In short, he has the demonstrated ability to stay behind the plate.
The likelihood is that the Phillies will start him out this season as a catcher at AA Reading, with Knapp performing the starting duties at AAA Lehigh Valley. But it would be no surprise at any point to see the organization start to give him time at a corner outfield spot, or even at first base, deciding that his bat is simply too valuable to keep putting him under the physical stress of the catcher position.
The defensive position seems to be the final decision with Alfaro. Every evaluation points towards a future as a productive big league bat. He should find his way into the Phillies lineup at some point, at some position, in the 2017 season. His 2016 season is going to in large part involve starting to figure out just what will be that ultimate defensive position.