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‘He’s got some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen’: Teammates rave about José Alvarado’s dominance

Jose Alvarado has emerged as an elite reliever. (John Jones/Icon Sportswire)

Emmanuel Clase, Ryan Helsley and Edwin Díaz, when healthy, are among the nastiest relievers baseball has to offer currently. But in terms of having a repertoire that turns hitters green, it’s hard to have much filthier stuff than José Alvarado.

Alvarado has faced 10 batters across three appearances so far in 2023. Only one has come away with a hit, and eight have been struck out.

Among those eight is reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge, who was on the wrong end of a 12-pitch inning Tuesday that saw Alvarado strike out the side at Yankee Stadium:

Alvarado again struck out the side Friday, helping set the stage for a win in the home opener. The 27-year-old lefty needed just 14 pitches to set the Cincinnati Reds down in order Friday:

“I don’t think much about it,” Alvarado said through Spanish translator Diego Ettedgui when asked about his strong start.

“Honestly, I’m just focused on throwing strikes. I want to attack the hitter early, and honestly, it’s mainly because of the pitch clock. And with that pitch clock, you don’t have much time to think. And at the same time, I don’t want to give the hitter much time to think either. So like, if he starts thinking about ‘Oh, when is he gonna throw?’ it’s good, because there’s not much time. So yeah, I’m just focused on throwing strikes.”

Alvarado perhaps isn’t worried about admiring his own production dating back to his return from Triple-A Lehigh Valley last June. But in a sampling of some notable Phillies, there’s quite a few in his clubhouse who are as much fans of the lefty as teammates.

Aaron Nola: “Man, amazing. When they sent him down and he came back up from Triple-A last year, he was like a completely new pitcher. He’s throwing his cutter for strikes and strikeouts. And then, his fastball obviously is so electric and it sinks, so [against] righties and lefties it’s so good.

“It’s just lethal when he’s getting ahead of hitters and getting ahead in the count, it’s nasty,” Nola continued, speaking of Alvarado’s fastball. “I mean, I feel like it’s hard to lay off as you see for right handers and not swing that that slider — or cutter, whatever he calls it. But yeah, it’s been pretty fun to watch.”

Bryson Stott [with an audible laugh when asked about Alvarado’s transformation]: “Just, I laugh. He’s very good. You know what you’re getting when he comes into the game. He’s gonna pound the strike zone and he’s got elite stuff. I kind of like playing up the middle kind of like in that shift just so I could see what his pitches are doing. Because, I mean, you could see it from anywhere on the field, that it’s nasty.

“He’s probably the hardest worker in here. He’s in here at eight in the morning. So, I’m just happy for him”

Alec Bohm: “It’s been a lot of fun to watch from the field, I’m sure not as fun facing him. But I’ve faced him a couple times in Spring Training … when he’s all around the plate, like he has been since he came back [from Triple-A] last year … a lot of credit to him for what he’s been able to do and kind of what he’s been able to make himself into.”

Craig Kimbrel — who is seventh in MLB history with 395 career saves — is new to the Phillies in 2023. But it hasn’t taken him long to arrive at a succinct assessment of Alvarado.

“Oh, he’s unbelievable,” Kimbrel said of Alvarado. “He’s got some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen. [He’s got] an electric fastball, he throws a cutter … I mean it’s basically a slider and it’s 96 or 97 mph. So I mean, you put those two things together and he’s pretty unhittable, and we’ve seen that so far this year.”

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While much was made about the negative impact that pitching in the World Baseball Classic may have had on some — such as the aforementioned Díaz — Alvarado helped Team Venezuela reach the semifinals and has returned looking like he’s already in midseason form.

Still, Alvarado attributes his early-season success more to his offseason workout regimen.

“I don’t really think the WBC had much to do with it,” Alvarado said. “I really think that it was more the fact that when the season ended last year, I took two weeks off and then I started working again.

“It’s no secret that the Phillies opened the complex for me down in Florida early, so I could show up there as early as I wanted,” Alvarado continued in Spanish. “[I] just go about my business … try to work really, really hard every day. And it’s good when you’ve got results to show for it.”

It feels much longer ago, but it’s been less than a year since Alvarado — struggling mightily with his command for the second season in a row — was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley with an ERA north of seven. At that time, it felt like Alvarado’s tenure with the Phillies was on the ropes.

But he returned from the minors with the cutter at the forefront of his arsenal, finishing the season with a 3.18 ERA and 1.92 FIP.

The Phillies rewarded him with a three-year/$22 million deal in February, one that includes a club option for a fourth year and already feels like a bargain.

With all of the positive developments, you would think that Alvarado’s confidence in himself would be significantly higher in April of 2023 than it was in April of 2022.

“Honestly, I am as confident as I was last year,” Alvarado said. “What I focus on is hitting the target and attacking the hitter early. I consider myself a hard worker and I think when people see that you’re a hard worker, they try to help you work even harder. And so, I’ve been fortunate enough to have those people in my corner.

“I’m just gonna keep doing my thing … throw strikes … attack hitters early … wherever I see the catcher’s mitt, that’s my target, and that’s what I’m gonna try to hit. So I’m just fortunate enough to have people help me out with that.”

And a group that features three former first-round picks and one of the greatest closers in MLB history is happy to help out Alvarado. They also — like most watching on TV — find themselves admiring the imposing figure he has become on the mound.