Dream NY Mets starting lineup for the 2025 season

Batting eighth in the dream Mets lineup, catcher Francisco Alvarez

It wasn’t a hugely successful year for Francisco Alvarez at the plate or even behind it. If you’re frustrated with the young Mets catching phenom, you’re not alone. At times he looks like a veteran with more confidence than Johnny Bravo. In other moments, he appears like an emergency catcher not sure if he should be swinging right-handed or left-handed. No one else will be the starting catcher for the Mets in 2025. We’re going to take him along for the ride as well in this dream.

More on the negative side, Alvarez has led the league in passed balls in each of the last two seasons. He had 11 in 2024 despite playing in about 150 fewer innings. The wild pitch total increased from 39 to 40 as well.

On the positive side, he did show he can improve. He actually finished the year by throwing out 18% of runners trying to steal. Early in the year, this was an issue for him. On offense, he dipped and rose to the occasion. It’ll be forgotten because of the outcome but he hit .412/.476/.471 in the NLCS when many were ready to see him benched.

Batting him eighth in this dream Mets lineup is strategic. It’s about getting a second leadoff hitter.