José Ricardo Álvarez (born May 6, 1989) is a

Venezuelan Venezuelans (Spanish language, Spanish: ''venezolanos'') are the Citizenship, citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connect ...

professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the Toros de Tijuana of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

, and

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. He was signed as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

by the Boston Red Sox in 2005. In the

minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

, Álvarez was a

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

mid-season All Star, and a

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

mid-season All Star. In the winter of 2014–15, he was named

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

Pitcher of the Year. He made his major league debut in . In he was second in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

in appearances, with 76.

Career

Álvarez was born in

Barcelona, Anzoátegui Barcelona is the capital of Anzoátegui State, Venezuela, and was founded in 1671. Together with Puerto La Cruz, Lecheria and Guanta, Barcelona forms one of the most important urban areas of Venezuela, with a population of approximately 950,00 ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Boston Red Sox (2005–09)

He was signed as an international

by the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

in July 2005. In 2006 with the

DSL Red Sox The Dominican Summer League Red Sox, often called the DSL Red Sox, are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball, playing in the foreign Dominican Summer League. The team, classed as a Rookie League franchise, ...

of the Dominican Summer League, Álvarez was 2–1 with a 1.61 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 61 innings. In 2007 with the

GCL Red Sox The Florida Complex League Red Sox are a professional baseball team competing in the rookie-level Florida Complex League (FCL) of Minor League Baseball. The team is owned and operated by the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior t ...

of the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the low ...

he was 4–1 with a 1.84 ERA (third in the league) and 38 strikeouts in 49 innings. In 2008 with the

Greenville Drive The Greenville Drive are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greenville, South Carolina. They are the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and are a member of the South Atlantic League. They play their home games at Fluor Field at the West E ...

of the Single–A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

he was 8–9 with a 5.70 ERA, and 86 strikeouts in 118 innings. In 2009, pitching for the

Lowell Spinners The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major Leagu ...

in the Low–A

New York-Pennsylvania League New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

, Álvarez was a mid-season All Star, and ended the season 8–3 for the Spinners with a 1.52 ERA (3rd in the league, and tops in the Boston farm system), and 63 strikeouts in 83 innings. He also pitched for the

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, Virginia, Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Car ...

in the High–A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

, and was 1–1 with a 4.74 ERA, and 11 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Florida Marlins (2010–12)

Álvarez advanced as high as Single–A before being traded in November 2009 with

Hunter Jones David Hunter Jones (born January 10, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox in 2009 and the Florida Marlins in 2010. Amateur career Jones played college basebal ...

to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

organization in exchange for

Jeremy Hermida Jeremy Ryan Hermida (born January 30, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres, and ...

. In 2010 Álvarez was third in the Single–A

in wins as he went 10–3 with the

Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National B ...

with a 3.58 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 108 innings. In 2011, pitching for the

Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...

in the High–A

, Álvarez was a mid-season All Star, and ended the season 6–5 for the Hammerheads with a 2.96 ERA, with 73 strikeouts in 82 innings. He was a two-time winner of the best

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

in the Florida Marlins farm system. In 2012 he pitched for the

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

in the Double–A Southern League. Álvarez was league Pitcher of the Week for the week ended June 25, and for the season was 6–9 with a 4.22 ERA, with 3

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s (tied for the league lead), 1.66

walks per nine innings In baseball statistics, bases on balls per nine innings pitched (BB/9IP or BB/9) or walks per nine innings (denoted by W/9) is the average number of bases on balls, (or walks) given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by ...

(tops among league starters), and 70 strikeouts in 136 innings.

Detroit Tigers (2012–14)

At the end of the 2012 season Álvarez was released, and he was picked up by the

on November 8, 2012, as a minor league free agent. Álvarez was invited as a non-roster free agent by the Detroit Tigers to their 2013 spring training. He played for the Triple–A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...

, where by June 2013 he was leading the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

Walks plus hits per innings pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. WHIP is calculated by adding the number of walks and hits allowed and dividi ...

(WHIP), and baserunners per nine innings. Álvarez was called up to the majors for the first time on June 9, 2013, and made his debut starting in place of

Aníbal Sánchez Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (; born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2006 with the Miami Marlins, Florida Marlins and also played for the Detroit Tigers, ...

. He recorded a

win Win or WIN most likely refers to: * A victory Win, Winning, WIN or Winner may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * '' Win!'', a 2016 American film Literature * ''Win'' (Coben novel), 2021 * WIN (pacifist magazine) * WIN (wrestling ma ...

and a

quality start In baseball, a quality start (QS) is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start was developed by sportswriter John Lowe in ...

, pitching six innings while striking out seven against the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

. He was sent back to the Toledo Mud Hens that same day and was recalled June 20 to start again in place of Sánchez. On August 28, Alvarez was sent back to Toledo. In 2013 with the Tigers he was 1–5 with one save and a 5.82 ERA, with 31 strikeouts in 38 innings. With Toledo, he was 8–6 with a 2.80 ERA (4th in the league), 5th in the league with a .235

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

against and 1.79 walks per nine innings, and 115 strikeouts (10th) in 128 innings. He was named Detroit Tigers 2013 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'' named him as having the best change up and control in the International League.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (2014–18)

On March 21, 2014, the Tigers traded Álvarez to the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

for shortstop

Andrew Romine Andrew James Romine (born December 24, 1985) is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs. He ...

. He made two scoreless appearances for the Angels in 2014. In the winter of 2014–15 he pitched for the Caribes de Anzoategui of the

Venezuelan Winter League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

, and was named Venezuelan Winter League Pitcher of the Year after leading the league in wins. Álvarez was 6–1 with two saves and a 1.91 ERA, with 40 strikeouts in 56 innings. Álvarez was called upon by the Angels 64 times in the 2015 season, posting a 4–3 record with a 3.49 ERA, and 59 strikeouts in 67 IP. He was tied for sixth in the American League with 19 relief appearances of more than one inning pitched. In 2016, Álvarez made 64 appearances for the Angels. He registered a 1–3 record and an ERA of 3.45, with 51 strikeouts in innings. He pitched in four games for Team Venezuela in the

2017 World Baseball Classic The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts wer ...

. Álvarez made 64 appearances for the third straight season in 2017 for the Angels, registering an 0–3 record with one save and an ERA of 3.88 and 45 strikeouts in innings. Among left-handed relief pitchers, his 83% stranded rate was 6th in the major leagues (minimum 30 innings). Lefthanders batted .245/.252/.462 against him, with one walk and 26 strikeouts. In 2018, Álvarez was 6–4 with one save and posted career bests in games (76; 2nd-most in the American League), wins (6), and ERA (2.71; 4th among left-handed AL relievers), and tied his career high with 59 strikeouts. He allowed three home runs over 63 innings, and limited left-handed batters to batting .206/.265/.338 against him with nine walks and 34 strikeouts. He was 5th among all MLB relievers, stranding 86.0% of inherited runners.

Philadelphia Phillies (2019–20)

On December 6, 2018, Álvarez was traded to the

, for relief pitcher Luis Garcia. Alvarez made his first start in five years on June 1, 2019, as the Phillies' opener against the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. In 2019 with the Phillies he was 3–4 with one save and a 3.36 ERA, as he pitched in 67 games (one start) over 59 innings. In 2020, during an August 20 game against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

, Alvarez was struck in the groin by a

line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

hit, leading to an injury that caused him to be inactive for the remainder of the season. In 2020 he was 0–0 with a 1.42 ERA in 6 innings in which he struck out 6 batters over eight games.

San Francisco Giants (2021–2022)

On March 6, 2021, Álvarez signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract with the

, that included a $1.5 million club option for 2022. In the 2021 regular season, Álvarez was 5–2 with a career-best 2.37 ERA in 67 games (1 start), in which he pitched 64 innings and allowed 7.4 hits per 9 innings pitched. In 2022, Álvarez made 21 appearances for San Francisco, posting a 2–1 record and 5.28 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 15.1 innings pitched. He was placed on the injured list in early July with left elbow inflammation. On September 2, 2022, Álvarez underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

, ending his 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Detroit Tigers (second stint) (2023)

On March 22, 2023, Álvarez signed a minor league contract with the

organization. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to begin the year, but spent the entire season on the injured list as he recovered from surgery. Álvarez was released by the Tigers organization on January 31, 2024.

Toros de Tijuana (2024–present)

On June 9, 2024, Álvarez signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the

. In 18 games for Tijuana, he posted an 0–1 record and 1.17 ERA with 12 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Notes

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Jose 1989 births Living people Caribes de Anzoátegui players Caribes de Oriente players Detroit Tigers players Dominican Summer League Red Sox players Greensboro Grasshoppers players Greenville Drive players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Jacksonville Suns players Jupiter Hammerheads players Los Angeles Angels players Lowell Spinners players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen Baseball players from Barcelona, Venezuela Philadelphia Phillies players Sacramento River Cats players Salem Red Sox players Salt Lake Bees players San Francisco Giants players Toledo Mud Hens players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela 2017 World Baseball Classic players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic