Nationals’ Andrew Alvarez’s stellar second half puts him firmly in mix for rotation spot in 2027

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It wasn’t Andrew Alvarez’s most pristine outing. Nor was it the ending he wanted to a sterling rookie campaign.

After allowing two runs in the second inning, Alvarez still had to deal with runners on first and second with one out. He responded resoundingly by recording back-to-back strikeouts to keep the Nationals’ deficit at one. After pitching a scoreless fourth, he allowed two more runs on solo homers in the fifth to make his pitching line look rough: five runs on seven hits in the Nationals’ 7-6 win over the New York Mets on Friday night.

But Alvarez recorded seven strikeouts and allowed just three walks, a sign of the progress he’s made. All season, the Nationals’ coaching staff has pleaded with him to trust his stuff in the strike zone. He ran into trouble earlier in the year by walking too many guys.

The problems for the lefty come when he’s spraying uncompetitive pitches outside the zone, upping his pitch count and leading to shorter starts. But, in the second half, Alvarez has been steady as the Nationals have worked to determine who will be helpful next season.

“We feel really good about Alvy,” manager Blake Butera said. “When we think about the options that we’ll have competing for the starting rotation next year ... I mean, where he was at this point last year to where he is now, I think is night and day. You feel really good about your chances when he’s on the mound.”

Alvarez isn’t one to boast or receive compliments. He possesses an underdog mentality that has helped him develop into a starter who could challenge for a rotation spot.

“At the end of the day, I don’t think I’ve earned or deserved anything,” Alvarez said. “So just approaching this offseason, just really trying to get better and put myself in a good position for next year whenever the season starts.”

Entering Friday, Alvarez had a 2.44 ERA in the second half. A quiet individual, he shows his competitive side out of the limelight. Before an August game that Alvarez was set to start, manager Blake Butera remembered the lefty’s attitude after he had allowed just two runs in Washington’s 6-3 loss to Philadelphia.

“Being ejected from the game that night actually gave me another glimpse into Andrew Alvarez because I was sitting in my office watching the game on TV, and he came up in the clubhouse pretty upset with him hitting the batter that ultimately led to him coming out of the game,” Butera said in August. “I don’t think he knew I was in there, and he was just yelling at himself in his locker. And I’m like, ‘Man, he really cares and sets a high standard for himself.’”

Alvarez ran into turbulence in July. For the month, he posted a 5.14 ERA that resulted in the team sending him back to Triple-A Rochester. Upon returning, he’s seemed to adhere to the staff’s insistence that his stuff is good enough in the zone.

“Part of it is, like, you want to stay up here,” Alvarez said. “You get optioned, and you got to get going. Not saying that I wasn’t trying to get going, but when your back’s up against the wall, you gotta go out there and dominate.

“I want to be here and help this team win and get the opportunities every week. So I think that little bit of mindset helped.”

Preparation has been critical to Alvarez’s development. He’s observed veteran starters Foster Griffin, Cade Cavalli and Jake Irvin as they get ready for starts.

Before Friday’s win, Butera said the strides Alvarez made this season “seem real,” which portends well for the Nationals’ pitching staff. The poor outing shouldn’t overshadow a tremendous year for the pitcher. It could end with him holding a rotation spot in 2027.

This article has been updated.