Alvarez works off a plus-plus heater, using his lanky body to his advantage by creating extension and a quality downhill angle to attack with it. He sequences it well with his slider, which flashes as a plus pitch with swing-and-miss potential. The changeup needs a good bit of work to develop utility, though his athletic delivery offers some cause for optimism that it improves to become a fringe-average pitch. He showed a couple curveballs in the second start, but neither featured great shape or finish. He's still learning how to harness his body, and it shows with occasional bouts of command inconsistency.

Alvarez has front-line potential, but more likely profiles as a heavy fastball-slider type whose future role will be tied tightly to the development of a third pitch to keep lefties honest.