When the Houston Astros signed Kevin Alvarez with a $2 million bonus as an international free agent this past January, the hope was that he could help usher in a new wave of young talent in Houston's organization. The early results with Alvarez were promising, but it is just so hard to know how kids this young are going to actually grow and develop. Fortunately, it looks like the Astros may have a real gem on their hands in Alvarez.
Getting reliable data from most international free agents' first stop, the Dominican Summer League, is notoriously difficult.