Slow your roll, old man.
There is still at least a little bit of skill involved in being a good first baseman.
Yeah, hyperbole got the best of me, and a 1B like you are were right to call me on it. Footwork is important, as is being able to pick low throws, and a 1B who can field his position like a middle infielder makes a defense so much better. What is true is with no hyperbole of all of the infield positions, 1B requires the least amount of skills. Teams have often moved aging OFs who can hit (e.g. Mickey Mantle) to 1B to keep him in the lineup. Being able to handle all the throws is paramount, and all the rest is icing on the cake. You were a good 1B who worked hard on the other skills and who could hit. My hyperbole was off the mark in real life.
Alvarez is 6’6” or so and presents a great target. He throws RH. I have seen him in person only twice, but he handled all the throws in those two games and caught two pop ups at the mound yesterday. I have not seen him yet have to make a tough pick like Yuli does. I have no doubt he can play 1B in Houston. My RR source also says he has been more than adequate in LF so far.
Yesterday he was 3-5: a single to LF, past the 3B who was in a shift, a double off the LCF wall, and a double off the LF wall just inside the foul line. These hits were driven hard to LF, not slapped. In addition, he hit a towering fly to medium RF which might still be going had he not gotten too far under it. His K/BB ratio is good, and in the words of my knowledgeable friend “He is a good hitter, not just a slugger.”
I was excited about Tucker last year too, but he could not handle MLB pitching. Man, I hope Alvarez can.
