In one of the most remarkable turnarounds ever, Jose Alvarado has become arguably the best reliever in all of Major League Baseball.
Rewind back to May 27, 2022 when Alvarado was demoted to the Minor Leagues by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Alvarado had lost his command and his confidence. He needed to be sent down.
Alvarado’s rise back to the Phillies has been nothing short of amazing.
The 27-year-old left-hander consistently fires to home plate at 100 miles per hour and now baffles hitters. He’s got a miniscule 0.73 ERA with five saves. He has 24 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. He’s become nearly unhittable.
Truly amazing.
“He’s been incredible,” catcher J.T. Realmuto told The Athletic about Alvarado. “You don’t see that type of transformation happen that quickly.”
Even though Alvarado allowed a majestic three-run home run to Houston’s Yordan Alvarez in Game 6 of the World Series, it didn’t break Alvarado.
It only made him stronger.
Talk about incredible mental toughness.
“Anyone can go crazy over giving up the homer at such an important moment in the game, right?” Alvarado told The Athletic. “But not every baseball player is capable of getting over it. I feel that I am capable of doing that. Because I know how baseball works. I know how baseball is. And that is part of my growth.”
Alvarado has a $22 million extension and the confidence to prove that the deal was well worth it.
He has command of his pitches and the velocity to go along with it.
He looks like an All-Star.
“It’s a credit to him and his maturity and how much he’s grown since he first came to us,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I mean, he just believes in himself. I talked to him after that (World Series) game and then I talked to him again in spring training. And he was fine. He just knows he got beat. But good chance he’s going to beat him the next time.”
Great chance.
In 2023, he has been dominant. Don’t expect that to change.
“When I sit down and I look back at what I’ve done, I surprise myself sometimes,” Alvarado told The Athletic. “I say it with a lot of pride because it’s been a great accomplishment for myself.”
Alvarado is just getting started. If one of these seasons ends with a parade, you can bet Alvarado will have played a huge role.
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