Handing out some original awards to Mets players in 2023

The "Newcomer of the Year" award goes to Kodai Senga and Francisco Alvarez

We have to share the trophy on this one, because both Kodai Senga and Francisco Alvarez were incredibly special in their rookie seasons.

Senga confounded hitters all year long with his ghost fork pitch, which was somehow even better than advertised. Opposing hitters managed a pitiful .110 average against the ghost fork, but Senga was good no matter what he threw. He finished second in the National League with a sterling 2.98 ERA and third in strikeouts with 202, and there is no doubt that he'll receive Cy Young votes, especially after carrying the Mets staff through the loss of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Francisco Alvarez has long been considered the #1 prospect in the Mets' farm system, and after a cup of coffee as a September call-up last year, he burst onto the scene following the injury to Omar Narvaez this year and never relinquished the starting catcher job. Alvarez showed off his prodigious power with 24 home runs, which is only one fewer than Johnny Bench hit in his age-21 season. Just as impressive, though, was his defense. Alvarez was praised by his teammates all season for his handling of the Mets' pitching staff, and according to Statcast, he finished fourth in the majors in pitch framing.

Both Senga and Alvarez have proven that they are integral pieces for the team moving forward. Mets fans can't wait to see what else they'll do in the years to come.