Alexander Alberto was a late signee in the Rays 2019 international class and is currently in the final year of his MiLB contract. It has been a long journey for Alberto, but this might be the year he gets a chance to stick in the majors.
It almost happened with the White Sox when he was taken this past winter in the Rule 5 draft, but he was returned to the Rays near the end of Spring Training after failing to find a spot in Chicago’s bullpen.
The 6’8 RHP opened the season in Double-A where his improved command is starting to match his plus stuff. Now he’s in Triple-A Durham where the command gains have held and the stuff is as good as ever. He might get a little scattershot at times given that he’s getting used to the AAA baseball, but that risk should subside with more reps.
Alberto throws from a low 3/4 slot with plus extension. The release traits make his 97-98mph cut-ride fastball appear even faster, and he can also reach back and hit 100mph. The shape is naturally platoon neutral, giving him a fastball he can throw to both sides of the plate. Alberto also throws a two-seam variation of his fastball, and that is primarily used against righties — although he has appeared to scrap it in Triple-A thus far. His third pitch is a mid 80s, sweepy breaking ball that Alberto can throw to both sides of the plate. There may be room to add a tighter gyro breaking ball or true cutter to help him with lefties in the future given his feel for spin.
Alberto also has a strong track record of generating a ton of ground balls (career ground ball rate is near 60%) in addition to his above-average whiff rates. There are over 1,400 pitchers who have thrown at least 1,000 innings since 2021. Alberto has the lowest HR/FB rate of all those pitchers at just 1.7%. He has allowed just 2 HR in his 206.2 professional innings at the time of writing this.
Here’s how Alberto’s release point (red dot) compares to others on the Rays’ pitching staff this season. The perspective of this chart is from behind the mound, facing the catcher:
Alberto is pretty unique, sitting next to Craig Kimbrel way out on the right. Alberto may have even more funk and deception than Kimbrel, as he throws from this low slot while being 8 inches taller.
One of the best things you can be as a pitcher is be unique; it’s difficult for hitters to pick-up the ball well from outlier release points, a trend that has become part of the Rays Way over the last few seasons. This level of deception enhances Alberto’s already-plus stuff, and fits into the type of profile the Rays have been investing in.
Overall, the timing in his development is perfect.
At a time of year front offices begin scouring the trade market for additions, Alberto’s contract status, unique delivery, plus stuff, and improved command make him a strong candidate to reach the majors this season. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster before the end of the year either way, or the Rays risk losing him to minor league free agency, and those always lead to difficult decisions if injuries do not clear the way for promotions. The specifics of that roster decision could ultimately determine whether Alberto finally gets the opportunity he’s spent years working toward.
