Atlanta, GA
Who is Nacho Alvarez? Meet Atlanta Braves’ Rookie Making MLB Debut
In a season dimmed by inconsistencies and injuries, the Atlanta Braves are awaiting a highly anticipated debut from one of this year’s biggest organizational bright spots: Infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr., who was promoted to the MLB on Sunday night.
Alvarez is Atlanta’s immediate replacement for second baseman Ozzie Albies, who fractured his left wrist Sunday afternoon and will miss approximately eight weeks.
So, who is Alvarez? Here’s what to know as he debuts Monday inside Truist Park against the Cincinnati Reds …
In Nacho His Real Name?
No — “Nacho” is short for Ignacio.
Alvarez’s Minor League Production Led to Quick Rise Through System
A fifth-round pick in 2022 out of Riverside Community College in California, Alvarez has done nothing but tear the cover off the ball since entering Atlanta’s system.
Playing for the FCL Braves and Augusta GreenJackets in 2022, Alvarez hit a combined .287 while accumulating a .451 on-base percentage. He added one home run, 11 runs batted in and 25 runs scored across 30 games.
Alvarez spent the entirety of the 2023 season with the Rome Emperors in Class A-Advanced. He hit .284 with seven homers, 66 RBIs and 62 runs scored in 116 games. He continued reaching base at a high level, finishing with a .395 OBP.
The 21-year-old Alvarez started this year at Double-A Mississippi, playing 48 games and recording 45 hits, 16 steals and 15 RBIs. He was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett in mid-June and, over the next 28 games, had his best stretch in the minors.
While in Gwinnett, Alvarez experienced a power surge, hitting seven home runs while continuing to reach base at a good clip, batting .336 with a .432 on-base percentage in 113 at bats.
Thus, he’s arriving in Atlanta swinging a confident, scorching hot bat.
Alvarez is One of Atlanta’s Top Prospects
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Alvarez is the Braves’ No. 5 prospect overall and No. 1 position player, according to MLB.Com. Here’s the scouting report on Alvarez …
“A right-handed hitter, Alvarez has very impressive bat-to-ball skills, striking out in just 17.4 percent of his plate appearances at age 20 in High-A in 2023,” MLB.Com writes. “He has an advanced approach and draws plenty of walks (13.2 percent last year), giving him the chance to be a very good hitter with quick hands at the plate.
“He is capable of making hard contact, but he hits the ball on the ground too frequently, especially to his pull side. How he adjusts to better pitching and learns to drive the ball will determine his ultimate offensive profile.”
How Experienced is Alvarez at Second Base?
Alvarez has a defensive background rooted in several positions. He played second base for three years in high school and said Monday afternoon in the Braves’ locker room he quickly felt comfortable when taking ground balls during pre-game warmups.
In community college, Alvarez played third base, but the Braves wanted to see him at shortstop – and he thrived.
“It’s turned out he’s looked very good, even being mentioned as one of the best defenders in the minors by executives from other teams,” writes MLB.Com. “If he can stay there long-term, that increases his value and puts a little less pressure on him to become a run-producer, and there’s definitely an up arrow next to his name.”
Alvarez and … Yunel Escobar?
Even before Monday night’s first pitch, Alvarez turned heads, as the Braves’ lineup has him penciled in at second in the order. According to The Athletic, Alvarez is the first Braves player since Yunel Escobar in 2007 to bat in the two-hole in their MLB debut.
Escobar enjoyed a successful debut, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. It set the tone for a strong rookie season that ended with a sixth-place finish in rookie of the year voting despite playing just 94 games, and on a bigger scale, paved the way for an 11-year career at the sport’s highest level.
At least in one way, Alvarez is starting in the same place as Escobar – and only time will tell whether he’ll have similar longevity and success.
ATLANTA – A Mexican national will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for operating clandestine methamphetamine laboratories across the Atlanta area, federal officials announced Wednesday.
What we know:
Ramiro Contreras-Sandoval, 41, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross following his conviction for running conversion labs that housed more than 135 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine hidden in paint buckets. Contreras-Sandoval, who also went by several aliases including Manuel Santiago Vazquez and “Mirin,” was also convicted of possessing firearms as an illegal alien to protect his drug trafficking operation.
The investigation began in April 2019, when law enforcement seized the methamphetamine mixture from a conversion lab in Morrow, Georgia. Contreras-Sandoval and his co-defendant, Genaro Davalos-Pulido, fled the area after a vehicle they were using to transport the drugs was stopped by police.
The pair remained at large until the fall of 2021, when agents tracked them to a neighborhood in Norcross, Georgia. During a search of a Norcross residence, agents discovered a full-scale liquid meth operation, a loaded Beretta handgun, $84,000 in cash, and a .50-caliber rifle that appeared ready for shipment to Mexico. Contreras-Sandoval was arrested nearby with approximately $12,000 in his vehicle and pockets.
What they’re saying:
“This case should send a clear message to anyone thinking about running drugs or using deadly weapons to protect their operation: the federal government will relentlessly seek justice and protect the community from drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
“Operating methamphetamine labs is a reckless and dangerous crime,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This conviction underscores that DEA will aggressively pursue anyone who engages in drug trafficking activities that put lives at risk.”
What’s next:
Contreras-Sandoval’s 30-year sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release. His co-defendant, Davalos-Pulido, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October 2024.
The Source: The U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office provided the details for this article.
Highlights include a musical from Alicia Keys, Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival, ‘Twelfth Night.’
The Lawrenceville Symphony Orchestra will perform works of Johann Strauss II and George Gershwin (featuring pianist Anna Keiserman) on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Lawrenceville Symphony Orchestra)
By Mary Caldwell – For the AJC
2 hours ago
From theater to music and dance to visual arts, the metro Atlanta area has a busy arts scene offering something for nearly everyone. This week, happenings include a Lawrenceville Symphony Orchestra performance featuring the iconic works of Johann Strauss II and George Gershwin as well as the second annual Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival. This weekly roundup will help you explore Atlanta’s arts and culture over the coming seven days.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” singer Alicia Keys’ autobiographical musical, continues at the Fox Theatre through Sunday. (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)
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New York storyteller Laura Sims leads workshops and performs stories on Saturday and Sunday during the Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival at The Breman. (Photo courtesy of The Breman)
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“The Family Album of Ralph Eugene Meatyard” is on view at the High Museum of Art through May 10. (Photo courtesy of the High Museum of Art)
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Sandler Hudson Gallery hosts “primary,” a solo exhibition featuring the works of Georgia artist Betsy Cain through Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Sandler Hudson Gallery)
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ATLANTA – New leadership is taking the helm at Atlanta City Hall as Council President Marci Collier Overstreet begins her term with a fresh slate of committee assignments for the new year.
Why you should care:
The appointments come at a high-stakes moment for the city’s chief policy-making board. Atlanta is preparing for a global spotlight in 2026, serving as a host city for the FIFA World Cup and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl College Football Playoff game.
What we know:
While Collier Overstreet reshuffled most of the council’s leadership, the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee remains under the direction of District 10 Councilwoman Andrea Boone. The influential committee oversees the police and fire departments, the Law Department and the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.
The remaining committee chairs for 2026 include:
- City Utilities: District 9 Councilman Dustin Hillis will oversee solid waste, sanitation, watershed and public works.
- Community Development and Human Services: Post 2 At-Large Councilman Matt Westmoreland will preside over parks and recreation, the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Entertainment and Nightlife.
- Transportation: District 6 Councilman Alex Wan will lead the committee dealing with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, MARTA and the Atlanta Regional Commission.
- Zoning: District 8 Councilwoman Mary Norwood will handle matters related to subdivisions, zoning and sign ordinances.
- Finance/Executive: District 1 Councilman Jason Winston will oversee contract compliance, human resources, finance and procurement.
- Committee on Council: District 3 Councilman Byron Amos will chair the committee presiding over council operations, the Office of Research and Policy and the Office of the Municipal Clerk.
The new president expressed confidence that this leadership team would ensure the city’s future remains inclusive.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report from Aungelique Proctor.
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