Pedro Alvarez

Lore & Background

During his playing career, Álvarez stood 6 ft and weighed 250 lb. A third baseman until late 2014, Álvarez transitioned to first base for the Pirates in 2015, and in 2016 became a designated hitter for the Orioles. On June 19, 2018, he was designated for assignment by the Orioles.

Reader's Guide

Álvarez was born in the Dominican Republic to Pedro and Luz Álvarez. As a young boy, he grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. He first attended the Mott Hall School for gifted and talented students in Morningside Heights, then the Horace Mann School in the Bronx. He holds numerous baseball records there, most notably home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBIs.

He was named Athlete of the Year his senior season. After high school, he was drafted in the 14th round of the 2005 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox but chose to play college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He set a single-season school record in home runs (22) and earned National Freshman of the Year honors. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Álvarez in the first round, with the second overall selection, in the 2008 MLB draft.

He made his MLB debut on June 16, 2010. He was selected to the National League All-Star team in 2013 and participated in the Home Run Derby. He finished the 2013 season with 36 home runs, tied with Paul Goldschmidt for most in the National League, and 100 RBI.