Pirates top minor league prospect, 3B Pedro Alvarez, moves up to Double-A Altoona

Alvarez’s stop in Va. lasted only until midseason

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ third baseman of the future is one step closer to helping out the big club.

Pedro Alvarez, taken with the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, was promoted to Double-A Altoona of the Eastern League on Monday.

He arrived to much fanfare for a minor leaguer — a news conference and teleconference heralding his arrival.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be anticipated in such a way,” he said. “It’s very flattering. It’s just my first year and I still have a long way to go, a lot to learn.

“I’m excited that the people in Pittsburgh are excited. All I can promise is that I’m going to work as hard as I can and do the best I can for this organization,” Alvarez said.

He is scheduled to make his debut with the Curve on Tuesday night at Erie.

Alvarez’s promotion came after he hit 14 home runs, second in the Carolina League, and drove in a league-best 55 runs in 68 games for the Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats. He batted .247 and struck out 70 times in 243 at-bats, and committed 13 errors in his 58 starts at third base.

“I started off a little rusty,” he said.

Kyle Stark, the Pirates’ director of player development, said the team looked at more than just his statistics and saw improvement in other areas with Alvarez.

“We feel like at the end of the day, the things we wanted to see from Pedro he’s shown,” Stark said. Alvarez also drew 37 walks and demonstrated good patience at the plate, Stark said.

Alvarez, who received a four-year major league contract worth a guaranteed $6,355,000 after going through a grievance with the Pirates, is seen as a key to the Pirates ending one of the longest losing runs in pro sports.

They recently tied the record set by the Phillies from 1933-48 of 16 consecutive losing seasons, the longest streak in any of the four major pro team sports.

So far, he said, the biggest adjustment from three seasons at Vanderbilt to professional baseball has been the grind of playing every day. “Having a routine every day from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed, and just knowing what you have to do,” he said.

“You’re on your own here.”