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3 reasons Francisco Alvarez is here to stay

By Terrence Jordan |
Francisco Alvarez is starting to show that the hype was worth it
Francisco Alvarez is starting to show that the hype was worth it / Dylan Buell/GettyImages
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Why hello there, fellow New York Mets fan. Thank you for clicking. The fact that you're here means one of two things. Either you, like me, are choosing to ignore the stench coming from the plane that flew last night from Cincinnati to Washington, and are opting instead to clutch onto a small thread of hope in these troubled times. Either that, or you decided to read one last article on your phone before summoning the courage to jump.

I implore you, dear reader, don't do it. There's lots to live for, even if the Mets are doing their best to push us all to the brink. Allow me to point your gaze behind home plate, where a 21-year-old Venezuelan catcher is shining like a newborn star in the cold, infinite blackness of space that is the Mets' past three weeks.

His name is Francisco Alvarez, and he's giving Mets fans something to hold on to.

Originally called up in the wake of free agent signee Omar Narvaez's early season calf strain, Alvarez initially looked overwhelmed at the plate, leading many to question if he had what it takes to live up to the pressure that comes with being the #1 prospect in baseball.

Short answer: yes he does. Alvarez has spent the past two weeks growing more comfortable in the big leagues, and with fellow backstop Tomas Nido now on the IL with dry eye syndrome (an injury that one can only assume is due to running out of tears from checking his Twitter mentions while batting .118), Alvarez is going to get all the playing time he can handle. Let's take a look at three reasons why Alvarez has shown he's here to stay, not just this season, but as the Mets' answer at catcher for the next decade.

1) Alvarez's power is real, and it is spectacular

Sorry to go all Seinfeld on you, but the power bat that saw Alvarez fast track his way through the minors is a sight to behold. It took a little while for it to show itself, but as Alvarez has acclimated to major league life, his bat has also warmed up.

The highlight thus far came on Tuesday, when Alvarez went yard twice against the Reds. The first was an opposite field shot off a Luke Weaver fast ball, with a two-handed follow through that brought to mind the gold standard of power-hitting catchers, former Met Mike Piazza.

The second also came off Weaver, this time when Alvarez pulled a hanging 1-1 breaking ball to the left field stands. Watching it again, I'm struck by the fact that Alvarez actually didn't get all of this one. He got under it and still powered it out. There aren't many catchers in the league that can do that.

It's a small sample size, but in the last seven games, Alvarez's OPS is 1.042, an elite number that would rank him second among all hitters in the majors. The rest of the Mets are struggling so badly at the plate that it only serves to highlight how good Alvarez has been. Don't be surprised if he gets moved up in the order soon to provide a spark.

2) Alvarez's defense has been better than advertised

One of the reasons proffered for keeping Alvarez in the minors was that his defense wasn't major league ready. Luckily, the reports of Alvarez's defensive deficiencies were much exaggerated.

In 150 innings behind the plate, Alvarez has committed only one error. He's struggled to throw runners out, but with the new rules, that's been a league-wide issue. Baseball Reference says that Alvarez is on pace to save 24 defensive runs above average, which puts him at eighth in the league.

The Mets' pitching has hardly been impressive, but that can't be placed at Alvarez's feet. The Mets have struggled to get guys out all year, no matter the catcher. In fact, Alvarez has done a superb job helping his pitching staff, ranking eighth in the league in pitch framing according to Statcast.

There's no way to know if Alvarez can continue being a top ten defensive catcher, but it's clear that he's not the liability in the field that he was painted to be. With his burgeoning ability as a hitter, if he can just be average defensively, that would be a big win for the Mets.

Being able to stay behind the plate also means that Alvarez doesn't need to DH, a fear some Mets fans had. This creates an easier path to the big leagues for Mark Vientos, a big bat who doesn't have a natural position to play in the majors.

3) Alvarez's plate discipline gets better by the day

When Alvarez first got called up, he was obviously over-eager with the bat in his hands, waving at balls off the plate and in the dirt. He's steadily improved as time has gone on, though, limiting his strikeouts and raising his average in the process.

Four of Alvarez's first nine games with the Mets this season resulted in two or more strikeouts at the plate. In the 12 games since, he's struck out only five times total, and never more than once in a game. That's a phenomenal improvement.

The eye test bears out Alvarez's rapid development. Early in the season, it felt like opposing pitchers knew they didn't need to challenge Alvarez to get him out. The outside corner was his main weakness, as he was fed a steady diet of sliders on the corner and off of it, often resulting in him reaching helplessly. Now, he's been spitting on those same pitches and waiting for something better to hit.

Alvarez didn't draw a single walk in his first 10 games, but he's earned a free base four times since then. Even better, he's recorded three multi-hit games in May while hitting .320 for the month, rendering his .194 April average but a distant memory.

Alvarez has improved every aspect of his game in just a short time in the majors. Despite the frustrations the team as a whole has caused, don't despair, Mets fans. We have a catcher to build around.

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