As veteran stars depart for the pros, Freshman All-American catcher Alonzo Alvarez looks to anchor the Miami Hurricanes' resurgence after a dominant late-season surge behind the plate.
MIAMI, Fla. – Following a 39-20 overall season – falling short of reaching the Super Regional, alongside the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles – the Miami Hurricanes are set to lose several veterans. The most prolific departure is All-American third baseman Daniel Cuvet staying in the MLB Draft. He attended the combine last week at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
Coach J.D. Arteaga will look to fill several voids, but he has the luxury of having a few in-house talents ready to step up, including catcher Alonzo Alvarez. It’s a similar story to Malachi Toney in football and Shelton Henderson in basketball: a freshman new to campus but delivered an immediate impact.
Alvarez joined the Hurricanes coming from Heritage High School in Brentwood, California. He went on to bat .341 with a .990 OPS, including 57 hits in 167 at-bats, 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 32 runs batted in, and 92 total bases in 51 games (45 starts). Alvarez primarily played behind the plate mid-week until circumstances changed later in the year.
Junior Alex Sosa was battling through a shoulder injury ahead of the Wolfpack series at North Carolina State, then he moved to first base the following weekend when Brylan West suffered a swollen ankle injury against the Louisville Cardinals. It allowed Alvarez to be the Hurricanes’ full-time catcher for the final 15 games of the season. He batted .407 with a 1.122 OPS, including 22 hits in 54 at-bats, three doubles, 11 runs batted in, three home runs, and 34 total bases in that span.
Alvarez earned Freshman All-American honors by Perfect Game and Baseball America. Unlike fellow freshmen Dylan Dubovik and Gabriel Milano, he wasn’t sent on a summer assignment.
Given all the star power leaving the program – pending potential returns from Sosa and left-handed pitcher Rob Evans from the MLB Draft – Alvarez could be the Hurricanes’ next big name. He’s already established ahead of a sophomore campaign.
Defensively, Alvarez has all the intangibles to win ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He blocks pitches with ease, has allowed only one passed ball behind the plate, and caught 12 of 21 base runners stealing.
The Hurricanes revitalized the pitching staff with several transfer portal acquisitions and retained key players such as Lazaro Collera, AJ Ciscar, Sebastian Santos-Olson, and Jake Durso. After falling drastically short of College World Series hopes, the program is looking to avoid any setbacks. It’s a benefit to having a young core, including Alavarez, to build around. He will be eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft with two more years of NCAA eligibility.
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Anthony Aguirre is the Miami Hurricanes beat writer for Roundtable Sports. Contact info: [email protected] | 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
