Forecasts for Fifteen: Dario Álvarez

[Edgy MD]

Dario Alvarez shot through multiple levels of professional baseball in 2014, achieving a 1.32 ERA in 20 games (six starts) for Savannah before pitching 12 unblemished innings for St. Lucie and Binghamton. Knowing they would have to add him to the 40-man roster in the offseason anyhow, the Mets gave him a September call-up, his cup of coffee being almost literal, granting him 1 1/3 innings (over four games!) in which he yielded a pair of runs.

Not quite how you draw it up, but reaching the bigs after starting the season in Low A is still remarkable. And yet, as writers outline the left-hand side of the bullpen as a weakness, Dario's name never seems to come up as being a potential answer in fifteen. Listen, man, striking out 114 batters and walking only 17 in 73 1/3 innings is the goods no matter where you're pitching. Kinda looks like a young Pedro Feliciano, too. With dimples.



What is your Forecast of Fifteen for Dario Alvarez?

[Ceetar]

I think I missed that call-up entirely.

only a few innings above A ball and he's 26.

I'm predicting he might be a big candidate to be DFA'd for roster space and we never see him again.

[Theoldmole]

K/BB ratio is impressive, and it's a key indicator. Lefties mature late.

[Edgy MD]

The thing is, yeah, he's 26, but that's after spending three summers in the DSL for the Phillies, and then three years out of any pro circuit whatsoever (save for a single Venezuelan inning). He's a come-backer. A re-discovery.

A lot of good and useful pitchers first sniffed the bigs at 25. Pedro F. Feliciano, for instance.

[Benjamin Grimm]

His age surprises me; I would have guessed that he was more like 21 or 22.

My guess is that he doesn't make the team out of spring training, but ends up pitching in about 35 games for the Mets this year, with an ERA around 3.70.

[MFS62]

The first lefty I recall reaching the majors when starting the season in A ball was Billy McCool, who did it for the Reds in the early 60's. (IIRC, he did it directly, with no other minor league stops).
I think Dario makes the team out of Spring training and is able to be productive in any role they need him.
27 G 36 IP 2.64 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Subs in for Edgin after Edgin struggles with elbow stiffness but doesn't hang around for long: He's back down at Vegas when we deal for an Established Veteran Lefty in early July and eventually 40man-ectomied.

7 games, 6.2 innings, 6 Ks, 4 BB, 0-1, 5.40 ERA

[Guest d'Kong76]

Included in the Gee trade, which as we know, is imminent.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Sounds like Dario's a pretty long shot for innings, but he could sling a few if the Rule V guy doesn't work out or we need to hock a different LOOGY.

I'll guess 15 games, 9 IP, 8 K, 4 BB, 4.50 ERA.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Part of the Holy-Shit-Edgin's-Hurt-Again Irregulars. Maybe 8.3 midseason IP, blown up something fierce, then DFAed.

[Edgy MD]

Not a lot of Dario believers out there.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Those impressive numbers were put up in leagues for which he was very overaged, with only a bit of it above high-A. So... yeah.

[Edgy MD]

Well, 3.3 years above the mean in Savannah, yeah. But 1.8 over in Savannah and 0.4 over in Bingo don't plus me. 'Sides, he may have been over-aged, but he wasn't over-experienced.

I don't know if he's any good, but I get the notion that the Mets think he may be a little something.

[Guest themetfairy]