Former Mets pitcher “not even remotely” surprised by Francisco Alvarez's performance

How good has Francisco Alvarez been for the New York Mets lately? It has some of his ex-teammates talking about him on Twitter.

Trevor May, now with the Oakland Athletics, hasn’t had the chance to see too many good moments with his current squad. Perhaps reminiscent of more competitive days in New York, he shared his thoughts on the rookie Mets catcher Thursday night.

May’s observations of Alvarez are especially unique because their time together on the active roster was minimal. Alvarez played only 5 games for the Mets last year and had a single at-bat in the postseason. The work Alvarez puts in that May has observed is what fans aren’t privy to. In the batting cages, the weight room, and on the field with the pop-up machine, the hard work for the rookie is paying off.

NY Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has uplifted the team in July

Through the first 5 games of the month, Alvarez has gone 6 for 17 with 4 home runs and 7 RBI. His clutch ninth inning home run on Wednesday was the biggest highlight of all.

After what was a brutal June featuring a .151/.205/.329 slash line and an identical 4 home runs and 7 RBI that he has already achieved in July, the impact is impossible to ignore. In all but one of these five straight wins for the Mets has Alvarez been a contributor. He still finds himself in the bottom third of the batting order which might be where he should stay if these are the results the team will get.

May’s compliments for Alvarez aren’t the first he has received this year. It was only about a month ago when Max Scherzer praised him not so much for his bat but for his ability to play the position so well. It’s a big change for the Mets considering how on a yearly basis there seems to be one backstop the pitching staff isn’t a fan of. Usually, it’s the starter.

It’s not fair to say Alvarez has exceeded expectations at this point because, at least according to May, it shouldn’t be so shocking. Never one to shy away from setting lofty goals, he said in February of 2022 that he wanted to make the major leagues that year. It took a while and he eventually did. While possibly a little premature or at least poorly-timed on behalf of the front office, the stunning young slugger has proven himself in the big leagues this year to the shock of no one, especially not those who have witnessed how hard he works.