Phillies call up top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro
If you haven’t heard (and how could you not have), the Phillies parted ways with one of the most beloved players in franchise history, and arguably the best catcher the Phillies have ever had, Carlos Ruiz. In the trade, the Phillies acquired Dodgers backup catcher A.J. Ellis, as well as a minor leaguer and a PTBNL. However, Ellis will not report to the team until later this weekend, so the Phillies needed a second catcher on the roster until Ellis arrives.
The Phillies have decided to call up top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro from Double-A Reading. Alfaro is the only other catcher on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, so it made sense to bring him up, albeit temporarily. Alfaro is currently hitting .279/.321/.442 in his 90 games with Reading this season. Alfaro also has 61 RBIs and 13 home runs in his 373 at-bats.
Alfaro was one of the main pieces in the Cole Hamels trade last summer. Although Alfaro was injured last season, specifically at the time the Phillies acquired him, he was still one of the main players the Phillies wanted in return for Hamels. Alfaro was acquired along with current Phillies Jake Thompson and Jerad Eickhoff, as well as outfielder Nick Williams, and pitcher Alec Asher in exchange for Hamels.
Alfaro is currently ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Phillies organization, the 64th best prospect in all of baseball, and 2nd best catching prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com.
Many scouts rave about Alfaro’s power not only at the plate, but behind the plate. Alfaro has a power bat and a power arm from behind the plate. He’s thrown out 31 of 70 runners attempting to steal on him this season, which is about 44 percent.
Alfaro was already a candidate to be a September call-up this season, and this move even more solidifies him as a player to be recalled once rosters expand and his season in Reading ends. Alfaro has been slated as the team’s future behind the plate, and this may be Phillies’ fans first chance to get a look at him at the Major League level. Even though Alfaro will likely only be with the big league club for a day or two, you can expect to see him sometime in September.
Photo: Laura Nawrocik (Flickr.com)
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Phillies