On Thursday, New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez logged his 53rd RBI of his debut season in the MLB in an 11-1 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the Mets in clear need of a quality starter at the position and Alvarez coming into the year as New York’s number one prospect, has New York found their long-term solution at the position?
Alvarez first arrived in the New York organization in 2019 as a ripe 17-year-old. He impressed right away, logging seven home runs and 26 RBI with a combined .312 batting average on 182 plate appearances in the Appalachian and Gulf Coast Leagues.
From there on, it was clear the kind of player Alvarez could be for the organization. He began climbing the ranks rapidly, reaching Triple-A Syracuse by 2022 as a 20-year-old and hitting 18 bombs with 47 RBI before being brought up briefly at the end of the year for his Major League debut.
Alvarez is just 21-years-old and has already eclipsed 20 homers and 50 RBI in his first full season in New York (.167 BA, one home run in 12 at-bats in 2022). His 23 deep shots is good for a tie for third on the team and second amongst catchers in the MLB and his 53 RBI are good enough for fourth, despite only 347 at-bats.
Beyond his hitting, what really makes Alvarez special is his ability behind the plate. The youngster is responsible for 798 total put-outs this season as well as 38 assists and also has a put-out rate on third strikes thrown to first of 50%. The native of Venezuela has a cannon of an arm and a quick glove that can create strikes regardless of the pitch.
However, Alvarez’s hitting efficiency leaves a little to be desired. He is slashing .216/.294/.414 on the year, which is eighth among nine players with over 250 at-bats. His 32 walks are last amongst that same field of players. This is the primary reason for Alvarez hitting in the six spot toward the back of the lineup as opposed to the 3-5 spot where people expected.
Maybe Alvarez isn’t quite where people thought in his first full season, but he is 21 and has all the time in the world to develop into a premier catcher in the league. He was a career .273 hitter in four years in the minors and, should he be able to reach at least a .250 batting average, the sky's the limit for the young catcher at the plate.
In regards to the Mets organization, the only conclusion from Alvarez’s season is that New York has their catcher for the foreseeable future and a potential World Series level player behind the plate. Despite some growing pains, it is clear that the 21-year-old will have a shot to contribute majorly in the MLB for the next 10-15 seasons, and New York would be wise to make sure he is in blue and orange in that span.
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