Andrew Alvarez showed promise in his first major league start this past Monday. In a season where the Nationals pitching staff has pitched to an abysmal 5.33 ERA, Alvarez could be a potential rotation option for the short and long-term future. In his first start, Alvarez was impressive, but not overwhelming. His performance was against the light-hitting Marlins, but five scoreless innings against any major league team should be applauded. His average fastball velocity was 91.7 miles per hour, which is below the 25th percentile for major league pitchers.