3 struggling Mets players who need to step up most against the Dodgers in the NLCS

3) Francisco Alvarez

Give some credit to Francisco Alvarez for how he has played the catcher position all year and in the playoffs. Anytime a pitching staff overachieves, the catcher deserves a share of the credit. It shouldn’t be overlooked how well he has handled this staff.

For all of the sneaky-good things he has done this year, his performance at the plate hasn’t measured up to expectations. He had a great start to the season before landing on the IL after an injury at Dodger Stadium of all places. He’d come back in early June and picked up where he left off.

As the months went on, Alvarez slumped at the plate. He finished with some stronger offensive numbers and more present power in his swing.

The postseason has been less kind. All four of his hits have been singles. He has struck out 9 times in his 26 plate appearances. He has driven in a single run.

Buried in the number eight or nine slot each game, his absence from the offense has a tendency to kill rallies. He got things started in Game 1 against the Phillies once Zack Wheeler exited. He came close to botching the Francisco Lindor grand slam in Game 4 when he grounded out to shortstop and a force out at home plate created the first out of the inning.

The Mets can win the NLCS without Alvarez being a big part of their success. Without him contributing on offense, a moment could come where they leave one too many men on base.