4 Mets who proved their spring training was a fluke

Francisco Alvarez started slow before becoming one of the best hitters on the Mets.

It seems impossible that Francisco Alvarez was once overwhelmed by major league pitching, but through spring training and early April, he seemed like a guy that just wasn't ready for his close-up yet. This was a real disappointment for Mets fans that have anxiously awaited his arrival as one of the top prospects in baseball.

Alvarez hit only .107 with no extra base hits in spring training, then floundered when he was called up from AAA after Omar Narvaez went down. Since bashing two homers against the Reds on May 9th, though, the young catcher has turned into the second coming of Mike Piazza.

Alvarez has cemented himself as the Mets starting catcher of the future and present, crushing 12 home runs while trailing only Pete Alonso for the team lead in OPS. Along with his fellow bash brother, Alvarez has been the best thing about this season for Mets fans, giving them a reason to tune in even as the team has dropped in the NL East standings. He's even gotten at-bats at DH on days when he's free of catching duties, a sign that Buck Showalter trusts him over the Mets' other options.