Is Ceiling of Rockies' Latest Call Up Really Yordan Alvarez?

The Colorado Rockies could have a future star on their hands.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

There hasn't been much for Colorado Rockies fans to get excited about this season -- or really the past few years -- but that could change with the promotion of one of their top prospects.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Yanquiel Fernandez had been called up to the Major League roster, giving the Rockies and their fans another chance to see a potential franchise cornerstone player perform at the highest level.

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Ranked fifth in Colorado's pipeline, the 22-year-old Cuban native was signed to a minor league contract back in 2019, and since he made his professional debut in 2021, he has done nothing but impress.

Fernandez has a career minor league slash line of .279/.336/.478 with 77 homers and 338 RBI, hitting 20 or more blasts in two out of his three full seasons.

Understandably, it's easy to get excited about what he could bring to the table, and Skyler Timmins of SB Nation site Purple Row took a look at how Fernandez compares to fellow Cuban star Yordan Alvarez.

The conclusion was that they are different players based on Alvarez having much better discipline at the plate when it comes to taking walks and not chasing. However, Fernandez posses similar power to the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year winner, and since they are both lefty sluggers, it's hard not to see a likeness.

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But what should Rockies fans expect from the youngster?

At the highest levels he's reached thus far, his chase rate has risen, meaning there could be a whole lot of swing and miss for Fernandez against big league pitching.

That is largely going to determine if he can reach his ceiling or not, since, much like Alvarez, he is a limited defender in the corner outfield spot.

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What has allowed Alvarez to become a Major League star is his ability to hit, becoming the everyday designated hitter for the Houston Astros and thriving in that role.

At 22 years old, Colorado is hoping for more defensive upside out of Fernandez, but what they are really banking on is his approach at the plate improving to the point where he can turn into that dominant power hitter and run producer he showed he can be at the lower levels of the minors.

How long his first stint in The Show will be isn't known just yet, and it likely will be determined by how he performs when on the field.

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