Nacho Alvarez continues his tear, time to give him a shot with the Braves?

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MLB: JUN 08 Mets at Braves

When the Braves decided to promote Nacho Alvarez from Mississippi to Gwinnett, it came as a slight surprise because it’s not like he was tearing the cover off the ball in Mississippi. He didn’t have a single home run and only recorded seven extra-base hits; however, whatever they are feeding Alvarez in Gwinnett has worked, and the Braves might not have a choice but to give him a shot with the big-league club very soon.

Yesterday, Nacho Alvarez clubbed yet another three-run homer. It was one of his three hits on the night, raising his batting average to .351 with an OPS of 1.042. He has five homers, ten extra-base hits, and 17 RBIs in just 18 games for the Stripers.

I really don’t love the idea of rushing every prospect to the majors, especially after just 18 games in AAA. Asking a 21-year-old to come up and be the starting shortstop of a team with World Series aspirations is a lot. With that being said, sometimes desperation forces the club’s hand, and that’s become the case in Atlanta.

Orlando Arcia is currently dealing with an infected tooth, which has kept him out the last few games.  That’s given the Braves an extended look at Zack Short, who has somehow made Braves fans miss Orlando Arcia, which feels dirty.

The fact is both players have been miserable and are not starting caliber shortstops at the major-league level. Whether it’s at the trade deadline or internally with Nacho Alvarez, the Braves must upgrade the position.

Alvarez’s improved power that he’s showcased with the Gwinnett Stripers may not translate to the major-league level, but his ability to get on base will. He carries an on-base percentage north of .400 over his minor-league career and has almost as many walks as he does strikeouts.

Offensively, there is little doubt Nacho Alvarez will be a boost over what the Braves have. The question is will he be able to hold up defensively? It may be wise to call him up before the trade deadline so the Braves know if they need to make a trade before the deadline.

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Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire

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