Aug 15, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) celebrates his three run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Francisco Alvarez proving he is the Mets’ franchise catcher

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI
By Andrew Jamieson | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 1:00 PM ET

It wasn't long ago that optimism surrounding New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez was at an all-time low. After suffering a fractured hamate bone in his left hand during Spring Training, Alvarez didn't make his season debut until April 25. When he finally returned, he struggled to meet expectations.

On June 22, the Mets made the tough decision to option the struggling 23-year-old catcher to Triple-A Syracuse. At the time, Alvarez was posting a lackluster .236/.319/.333 slash line with three home runs and 11 RBI through 35 games.

Sometimes, all it takes is a reset and change of scenery to turn things around: and that's exactly what Alvarez found in Syracuse.

Alvarez's Turnaround

In nearly a month at Triple-A, the former No. 1 prospect hit .299 with 11 home runs, including seven in his final 19 Triple-A at-bats, while also tightening up his defense.

When he was recalled, Alvarez immediately made an impact. In his first game back, he ripped a go-ahead double off the right-field fence in the eighth inning to help the Mets beat the Angels 7-5 on July 21.

Francisco Alvarez hits a long double off the wall! pic.twitter.com/RkilSuuNbL
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 22, 2025

Since that moment of redemption, Alvarez has been a bright spot amidst a collective downward spiral for the Mets. In 20 games since his return, he is slashing .293/.388/.603 with four home runs, 12 RBI, and an OPS just shy of 1.000.

This return to form is reminiscent of Alvarez’s 2023 campaign, when he clubbed 25 homers in just 123 games. But this version of Alvarez may be the most complete yet, as he’s hitting .254 overall this season, up significantly from the .209 mark he posted two years ago.

Francisco Alvarez has just been mashing since returning from Triple A.

pic.twitter.com/TsfSA92i6w
— Mets Batflip (@metsbatflip1) August 16, 2025

Defensively, Alvarez has also bounced back after early-season struggles. At one point in 2025, he ranked in the bottom 9% of MLB catchers in Statcast’s framing metric, a surprising drop after finishing in the 95th and 88th percentiles the previous two years. His midsummer reset, however, has helped him return to old defensive form, with sharper blocking and receiving.

If Alvarez can keep playing up to his potential and continue this successful stretch, he'll add much-needed length to the bottom half of a Mets lineup that has struggled to consistently produce runs.

The Mets don't need Alvarez to be their best hitter or even an All-Star: they need him to be a consistent threat. And since July 21, he's been exactly that. However, he will need to continue to be that if the Mets want to creep back into the NL East race and pad their tight 1.5 game lead over the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: