No Pirates player gets more reaction for better or worse than Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez. It isn’t for lack of trying. One of the first things that come to mind when Alvarez’s name comes up with players and coaches on the team is how hard he works.
“His work ethic is as good as anybody that’s been around,” hitting coach Jeff Branson said. “It’s nothing any different, he’s just simplified his plan and his sights of where he wants pitches. All of the drill work he does every day is revolved around that. It’s more of a mental thing he’s been working on.”
August is the first month of the 2015 season that Alvarez is hitting over .300; .340 to be exact. His best career average for a month is .322, which was in August of the 2012 season. His OPS was 1.070 entering Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
Going on hot streaks at the plate is nothing new for Alvarez. What has changed is that his defense at first base has improved, and it is clear how much pride he takes into it.
Alvarez spent all of Spring Training and various parts of the season under the watchful eye off Pirates special assistant coach and former first baseman Kevin Young. Young will still check in from time to time, however it is clear that the converted third baseman has become more comfortable.
“I’m just trying to sit to a good approach and try to stay within myself and just try to keep it simple,” said Alvarez. “I think it’s very important to be the best player you can be. It’s about helping the team out and that’s what I try to do every day. Every position player is two players, an offensive player and a defensive player, you have to take care of each aspect of the game.”
Trust is something manager Clint Hurdle places high value in and it is clear that Alvarez has earned that.
“We believe in Pedro defensively and Clint writes him in the lineup pretty much every day against a righty because he trusts him,” Branson said. “We trust him when he gets him in the field. Obviously there’s going to be a defensive replacements later in the game but when he makes plays early in the game you’re going to gain confidence in yourself. There’s no doubt that his confidence is at a high level right now.”
It has at times been a bumpy road for Alvarez, one which required a position change, however he has overcome that and become an asset to this Pirates team.
“Last year was a challenge for him in a couple of different ways and this year came in with a clean slate and just wanted to help,” Hurdle said. “He wanted to get better over at first base and have a better approach and plan at the plate and it’s playing out. There’s been a lot of good indicators going on and he’s been working to getting better and is getting better.”
Branson cites Alvarez’s success to having a hard-headed approach and becoming more selective at the plate as reason for his success to the game. Hurdle cited a concept he has mentioned countless times this season, which is to take the bat into the field.
Regardless of the end result, Alvarez knows and values one thing.
“I take a lot of pride in the work I do and the progress I make every day,” said Alvarez. “That’s something that’s never going to change.”
Photo credit: Keith Srakocic/AP Photo
