MLB: The Most Underrated Prospects Heading into 2017

Yadier Alvarez – 49

Yadier Alvarez is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher that the Los Angeles Dodgers signed out of Cuba. Alvarez was the focal point of a two-year spending frenzy that saw the Dodgers spend over $150 million on international players. Alvarez, who received a $16 million signing bonus, is the next great arm within the Dodgers franchise. Now that Julio Urias has made the big leagues and Jose De Leon was dealt, Alvarez remains as the best pitching prospect the Dodgers have to offer.

While he has a very slim sample size, the sample size Alvarez did have should propel him up the rankings. While it is hard to rank a player very high on so little exposure, Alvarez proved that he can get professional hitters out and can do so convincingly. In 2016 Alvarez pitched in 14 games in the Dodgers farm system, five in rookie ball and nine in Class A. In these outings, Alvarez posted a 4-3 record with a 2.58 ERA and a 12.3 K/9. As previously stated, the sample size is small and Class A is nothing like MLB, but it isn’t absurd to think Alvarez can post a 10 K/9 once he reaches the big leagues.

Heck, this is a very bold statement, but Clayton Kershaw had a 12.39 K/9 during his tenure in Class A back in 2007. If you look at Kershaw’s overall minors numbers he posted a 11.4 K/9 with a 2.43 ERA, pretty similar to Alvarez. No, I am not attempting to say Alvarez is the next Clayton Kershaw, as they are two entirely different pitchers, but his dynamic stuff should at least put him in the top 25.