Phillies 2018 season report card: Catcher Jorge Alfaro

Jorge Alfaro got his first chance to be a full-time major-league catcher for the Phillies this season. How did he perform in his rookie season?

Jorge Alfaro was one of many players Phillies fans looked forward to seeing at the start of 2018. The young catcher had made two brief appearances in the MLB and had shown tremendous potential during his 29 game stint in 2017.

Letting go of Cameron Rupp proved the team was ready to hand over the starting job to the 25-year-old rookie.  However when Andrew Knapp caught the season opener it became obvious Alfaro would not be the lone man on the job.

Alfaro shared the spot with Knapp and eventually Wilson Ramos for the entirety of the year. Many were unsure if they would receive the .125/.176/.125 2016 Alfaro or the 2017 .318/.360/.514 stud. He delivered a mixture of both. With stretches of greatness and disappointment, how does Alfaro’s 2018 grade out?

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Positives

When he was playing, Alfaro was often the most exciting player to watch on the field. A large portion of that excitement coming from behind the dish. Alfaro’s caught 21 runners stealing, sixth-most in the majors and the third-most in the National League.  Amongst all catchers (minimum of 20 throwdowns) Alfaro had the strongest catchers arm in baseball with an average throwdown velocity of 90.8 MPH.

Alfaro also was tied for third quickest pop time (1.94). Of all 36 qualified catchers, Alfaro is the second-youngest, trailing Pedro Severino by just 31 days. Alfaro led the NL and was second overall with a catcher’s ERA of 3.45

While delivering behind the plate, Alfaro also delivered standing to the right side of it. Alfaro finished 2018 with a .262/.324/.407 slash line with 28 extra-base hits, 10 home runs, and 37 RBI. In 344 at bats, Alfaro finished just 10 hits shy of 100. He provided a solid 1.7 oWAR and interestingly finished eighth in the MLB being hit 14 times.

Negatives

Alfaro never completely secured the job as starting catcher for the Phillies. He spent a majority of the year sharing the job with Andrew Knapp before Matt Klentak decided to bring in 2018 All-Star Wilson Ramos when Alfaro lost the starting job.

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Offensively, Alfaro finished with the 20th-most strikeouts in the National League. He often showed a lack in patience at the plate and a poor pitch selection, drawing only 18 walks (12 unintentional) in 377 plate appearances. Alfaro also never showed off the power potential many believed he could have at the plate with just 10 long balls.

As exciting as he can be, Alfaro faced his share of struggles behind the plate in 2018. Alfaro led the National League in errors, passed balls and stolen bases allowed. Alfaros arm mainly carries his performance catching, whereas his glovework could use some fine tuning. Despite the strongest arm, Alfaro’s 0.73-second exchange was the 16th-slowest of the 36 qualified catchers.

Alfaro often looked like exactly what he is: a young inexperienced catcher.

I was satisfied with Alfaro’s 2018 season. His first full season in the bigs did not make me ecstatic with thoughts of the future nor did it knock the 25 year old out of his role as the catcher of the future. It was a slightly above average year, carrying its highs and lows all while showing potential for tremendous growth in the upcoming seasons.

Will he return?

Alfaro’s return is almost guaranteed. His role with the squad will be the main question. If the club decides to bring back Ramos, Alfaro will likely be looking at an extended backup role, undoubtedly stunting his growth. If they let Ramos walk, Alfaro will regain his role as the primary starter. But looking long-term, Alfaro is the man as the Phillies head towards the future.

Alfaro had a promising 2018 season. Down the road with some adjustments and fine tuning Alfaro could be a top catcher in the league offensively and defensively. While he did not blow anyone away this year bright things are ahead for the young Phillie.