José Antonio Alvarado is a Venezuelan baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.
Alvarado was previously with the Tampa Bay Rays after signing as an international free agent in March 2012. In 2017, Alvarado made his major league debut.
How Old Is José Alvarado?
José Alvarado was born on May 21, 1995 . He is 26 years old
Alvarado was born in the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo. Maracaibo was notorious for its high crime rates throughout Alvarado’s childhood, including kidnappings and assaults, so he tried to keep out of trouble while gaining a sense of fearlessness.
Alvarado dropped out of school when he was 14 to help support his family by working on the farm.
He preferred soccer to baseball, but his physical education teacher convinced him that as a left-handed athlete, he could make a career as a pitcher.
When Alvarado pitched at a showcase for Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts, the Tampa Bay Rays were impressed, and he was asked to pitch at the Rays’ Venezuelan school.
He was signed by the Rays in 2012 as part of the team’s continued effort to recruit overseas baseball talent. He debuted in professional baseball as a 17-year-old in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2012. (VSL).
Alvarado had a 2-3 win-loss record with a 3.81 earned run average (ERA) and 20 strikeouts in 12 games and 26 innings thrown.
He returned to the VSL the following season, going 1-8 with a 1.97 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 13 starts and 45+23 innings.
He was sent to the Gulf Coast League Rays in the United States in 2015 for a season. In 12 games and 40+13 innings pitched, Alvarado went 1-5 with a 3.79 ERA and 46 strikeouts.
Alvarado was still in the rookie league in 2015, when he struggled mightily in five starts, earning an ERA of 9.53 while walking 13 batters over 17 innings.
Alvarado made the switch to the bullpen in 2016 and saw a significant improvement, earning a 3.06 ERA in 70+23 innings with an 85/55 K/BB ratio, while walking 7.4 hitters per nine innings between Low-A and High-A.
After the 2016 campaign, he was added to the Rays’ 40-man roster. He was a member of the Double-A Montgomery Biscuts in 2017, earning a 2–1 record in nine games (11+13) with the team.