José Álvarez had a quietly awesome year

Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesOur 2021 San Francisco Giants season reviews are now underway, and we get started with one of the unheralded heroes of the year: left-handed pitcher José Álvarez.

2021 review

67 games, 64.2 innings, 2.37 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 42 strikeouts, 19 walks, 1.0 fWAR, 1.2 rWAR

Álvarez was a bit of an overlooked addition in the offseason; journeymen relievers on teams projected to have an uphill battle to .500 aren’t exactly the sexy signings that keep fans refreshing Twitter all through the winter months.

But what a signing he proved to be.

The Giants turned to Álvarez more than any other pitcher not named “Tyler Rogers,” and the lefty rewarded their trust…