Jorge Alfaro

Position: C
Born: 6/11/1993
Height: 6'2
Weight: 225
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Via trade from the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2015, along with RHP Matt Harrison, RHP Jerad Eickhoff, RHP Alec Asher, RHP Jake Thompson and OF Nick Williams for LHP Cole Hamels, LHP Jake Diekman and cash (PHI). Originally signed as an international free agent (Colombia) on June 14, 2010 (TEX).

Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
CURRENT SEASON STATS: .285 with 15 homers and 67 RBIs in 97 games at Reading (Double-A), adding 21 doubles.

Info & MLB Debut Date
Recalled from Reading on September 11.
MLB Debut Date: 9/12/2016

Debut Details
September 12, in a 6-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pinch-hitting in the eighth inning for pitcher Hector Nevis, he went 1-for-1. He led off the inning against reliever Jared Hughes, singling to third base on a 2-0 count.

Player Notes
This is actually Alfaro’s second trip to the majors this season, as he was brought up for one day, August 26, when the Phillies and Dodgers swapped catchers (Carlos Ruiz and A.J. Ellis respectively), prompting both teams to recall minor league catchers to have on reserve if needed. Neither one was (the Dodgers brought up Aruban-born Shawn Zarraga, who would have also been making his debut) and thus Alfaro returned to the minors for a few more weeks. Part of a huge haul of top prospects that the Phillies received from the Rangers in a blockbuster deal with Texas a year ago, Alfaro had been signed for a $1.3 million bonus out of his native Colombia. Injuries have slowed his ascent, including a broken hand in 2013 and a broken ankle in 2015, as well as some time spent on the DL this year with a strained oblique, but the two-time Futures Game participant has been a steady hitter, batting a career .266 with occasional pop, adding 15 or more homers in 2013, 2014 and 2016 (he missed most of ’15), and boasting a double-plus arm. He’s very athletic but still something of a work in progress due to the missed time. When everything clicks, his upside should be huge.

2080 Notes
You can read our Prospect Spotlights on Alfaro here and here, and you can also catch this video we shot of him. Alfaro checked in at No. 48 on our Preseason Top 125 Prospect Rankings List where we had this to say about him: “The top catching prospect on our 2016 list, Alfaro was one of the main pieces coming to the Phillies in the Cole Hamels trade. He has unique athleticism for a catcher and some of the best raw power in the minors. Agility behind the plate should translate to the major league level, but if not, he would be able to handle a corner-outfield spot. With just a slightly below-average hit tool and above-average in-game power from the catcher spot, Alfaro could project to an all-star caliber future.”