Phillies 2017 Season Preview: Catching Prospect Jorge Alfaro
After his strong performance for Columbia in the World Baseball Classic, many fans are excited about Phillies top catching prospect, Jorge Alfaro.
When the Phillies decided it was time to move on from long-time staff ace, Cole Hamels, the team, front office, and fans were hopeful that the prospects acquired in the deal with the Texas Rangers would be the future faces of the team. When the deal originally took place, the headline prospects were Jake Thompson and Nick Williams. Both have had their struggles, but still look to have promising major league careers.
The third-highest rated prospect was catcher Jorge Alfaro. The scouting report that came with Alfaro was the he possesses raw power and an elite arm behind the plate. In his first full season with the Reading Phillies, Alfaro did it all.
Alfaro was able to hit for a respectable .285 average while hitting 15 home runs and driving in 67 runs.
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In just 97 games, Alfaro struckout 105 times, which is a huge red flag. His .325 on-base percentage is something that must improve as well if he wants to steal the backstop job from Cameron Rupp.
While playing for his home country of Columbia this spring in the World Baseball Classic, Alfaro picked up just three hits in 12 official at-bats. With that being said, Alfaro was responsible for one of the most exciting moments of the tournament.
Alfaro blasted a game-tying hom erun in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Dominican Republic off well-respected closer Fernando Rodney.
Analysis
So what can fans expect from Alfaro? Well, one thing is for certain: Alfaro can absolutely control the opponents base-running game. While Cameron Rupp has been a solid option in the lineup for the Phils, he only caught 27% of base-stealers in 2016, which was down 11% according from 2015 according to Baseball Reference.
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In comparison, Alfaro was able to throw out 44% of base-stealers with Reading in 2016. This style of elite defensive play along with his solid 45 hit and 55 power grade, according to MLB.com, makes him one of the most polished backstop prospects the Phillies have had in the last decade.
Alfaro is slated to start the season with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs but will be called up in 2017 and should receive the call if either of the Phillies’ catchers goes down with an injury. While down in Triple-A, expect Alfaro to spend much of his time with Sal Rende, the team’s hitting coach.
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In order for Alfaro to make the next step, he must control the plate more and cut down on his horrific strikeout rate. With that being said, Alfaro has the potential necessary to be an elite major-league catcher if he puts it all together.