Mets will enhance catching possibilities Francisco Alvarez ahead of the team’s pivotal weekend series against the Braves, reports El ExtraBase’s Daniel Alvarez Montes (Twitter link). The 20-year-old is one of the top minor league talents in the sport, ranking sixth on the list of the top 100 potential players in American baseball.
It will be the first major league call for Alvarez, who has entered the professional ranks as an amateur site outside Venezuela. One of the top prospects in the 2018-2019 international signing period, the 5’10” prop raised his score in pro football only. He hit very well at the rookie ball during his first season in the minor league, but lost a year of excitement with the underage disqualification in 2020 Alvarez opened the ’21 campaign in Low-A but quickly established himself too far ahead for the level, spending most of the year in High-A.
Alvarez hit .247/ .351/ .538 with 22 home runs in 84 games at this level, an astonishing production of a 19-year-old catch. It jumped him near the top of the odds lists entering this season, with Alvarez crossing the pre-season top 15 in American Baseball, Athletic, ESPN and FanGraphs. He opened the year at Double-A Binghamton and hooked up with 18 other players in 67 games. His .277/ .368/ .553 overall streak across 296 board appearances earned him a bump to Triple-A Syracuse in early July.
The mansion’s top level gave Alvarez his toughest challenge thus far, but he still kept himself overall. Over 199 board backs out there, it’s marked .234/.382/.443 italicized with nine more hoverings. He hit 26.1% of the worst of his career and contributed to his mediocre hitting average, but the rest of his profile stayed strong. Alvarez walked 17.1% of his trips to the star plate, collecting six pairs plus long balls.
Between the top two, Alvarez has a .260/.374/.511 streak with 27 Homer and 22 doubles on 495 board appearances this season. That stellar display was enough to convince the Mets front office that he could hold his own against the league’s big arms, even at his age. Pinning him in the Pennant race and right before the Mets’ biggest regular season series of the year is a solid show of faith, but Alvarez has performed well in every rung on the ladder thus far.
Joel Sherman from The New York Post Tweets That the club is likely to break it as the right-handed option in the designated hitter. got mets Darren Rove One of the giants on the trade deadline is hoping he can take on the role, but that acquisition isn’t over yet. Rove has a .152/.216/.197 spoiled streak in 29 games as a Met. He made a serviceable .216/.328/.373 in 314 pre-trade board appearances, but his struggles since landing in Queens have led to some questions about how manager Buck Showalter might use the DH role. Get a deadline mate Daniel Fogelbach He has excelled since coming from the Pirates and will continue to spend his playing time against the right pitcher. Alvarez gives Showalter a replacement for the faltering Ruff for the strike against the left hand.
However, it did not seem likely that he would directly intervene as the primary catcher. The Mets have a veteran James McCann As a start, with Thomas Nido support it. McCann has only made 0.10/.256/.264 in 180 board appearances, his second consecutive touchdown of the year offensively. The veteran is rated a slightly above average defender, and has earned solid reviews for his work with the cast. Sending Alvarez behind the plate in the last few games of the season is more of a front desk and the coaching staff seems comfortable with him, especially considering McCann’s long acquaintance with the crew.
Scout reports on Alvarez have always suggested that he is more than just a bat catcher. This is largely a testament to his offensive ability, but evaluators have expressed some concern about his defence. The survey report from BA indicates that he had some inconsistency as a ball limiter and a ball blocker. The port also notes that Alvarez’s extra raw arm strength could be eroded by some flaw in the throw mechanics.
There is general optimism that Alvarez can finally settle those concerns and at least become a competent defender. This is a long standing question. The urgent issue for the Mets is whether he can make an offensive impact. New York enters the weekend group holding a one-game advantage over Atlanta. New York also will hold a tiebreak on the Braves if they can run into one of the three competitions, so they will head into next week at the top of the division unless they are swept away. Securing her first NL East title since 2015 will come with a similar interview round, making these last six competitions crucial.
Alvarez’s promotion for such important games in the regular season raises the possibility of breaking the post-season roster. Only players on the team’s 40-man roster by September 1 are automatically eligible to participate in the playoffs. However, the players in the organization but not in the 40 players by September 1 Can He is added to the qualifying list in place of someone on the injured list by petition to the commissioner’s office. This situation is fairly common throughout post-season, so the Mets shouldn’t have much trouble getting Alvarez on the playoff roster if they so desire.
New York will have to add it to their roster of 40 players ahead of tomorrow night’s game. Their list is currently full, so they will need to make a similar transaction. It was added to the 40-man post-season anyway to keep it from being taken into the Base 5 draft, so there’s little harm in bringing it in a few weeks ago. Alvarez will accumulate his first few days in the Major League but will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season at the earliest. The quickest path to refereeing is after the 2025 campaign, and he will certainly likely spend more time refining his defense and at least delaying the trajectory of his free agency.
Meanwhile, Mets fans will get their first glimpse of a player they hope will be an essential part of the franchise’s future. McCann is under contract for two more seasons, worth $12.15 million a year through 2024. It makes sense that Alvarez will have the opportunity to replace him in the depth chart sometime next year. For now, he’ll get his feet up in the majors as a bat-first choice for extended runs – with some post-season action possibly on the horizon.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
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