Braves’ call-up of top prospect Nacho Alvarez could slow his development

We’ve reached the point where we’re repeating ourselves like a broken record when it comes to the Atlanta Braves offense. Even when they’re at their best, they can’t win a game where they give up four or more runs. That’s 28 straight losses now.

It’s been a frustrating season and fans will want quick fixes to turn things around. One notable idea has been that the Braves should turn to prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr.

Alvarez is currently the Braves’ player Prospect #6 and their top position player prospect. So far, he’s looked good for Triple-A Gwinnett with a .354 batting average and a 1.028 OPS. Those numbers are rightfully getting everyone’s attention.

Might as well give the young man a chance, right? Maybe not.

It’s going to be a little heated given the way the season is going, but Alvarez might be better off staying in Triple-A a little longer.

Forget the argument that he’s tearing it up in Triple-A. We know he’s doing a good job. But he’s played in 19 games with 93 plate appearances. We can agree that’s a small sample size.

Give him another 30 games to see if his numbers are sustainable, especially the surge. Alvarez’s five homers in Triple-A are the only homers he’s hit all season. He hasn’t hit any in 48 games in Double-A.

Speaking of those Double-A numbers, Alvarez saw the ball well in his first month, just as he does now in Triple-A. That first month also comes in a 19-game sample size. He hit .300 and had a .731 OPS. Pretty good for a first month at this level.

May was a different story. In 26 games, he hit .244 with a .669 OPS. Now that he’s in Triple-A, he’s back to seeing teams and pitchers who haven’t faced him before and have less information about him. Another month and that could change.

If Alvarez had dominated from start to finish at every level, then one might conclude that he is ready for Atlanta. But since that is not the case, we might rush to call him up. If he still maintains those impressive numbers in 30 or so games, then take your pick.

The last thing the Braves need is to bring in a top prospect and have him not be ready. Remember when the Orioles recalled Jackson Holliday after 10 standout games? It didn’t go well — he hit 2-for-34 (.059) — and Holliday has been back in Triple-A ever since.

The Braves are likely to throw a prospect into the fire just to have nothing change. Fans won’t feel any better than they do now.

It may be much more profitable to wait and be patient with one of the future team members.