FLUSHING, NY — There’s a new kid on the block and his name is Francisco Álvarez. The 21-year-old Mets rookie catcher, from Guatire, Venezuela, had his cup of coffee last September-October in the big leagues, and is now making his presence felt in Queens for the Amazins.
Francisco Alvarez and the @Mets erase a six-run deficit! pic.twitter.com/2lDDox7aq0
— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2023
In other words, Álvarez, ranked #1 on MLB’s Top 100 Prospect Pipeline List a year ago, is tearing the leather off the baseball and leading New York’s stable behind-the-plate. On the season, he’s caught in 35 games while posting a slash line of .252/.308/.523 with eight HR and 19 RBI.
Also, throughout his 40-game MLB career, Álvarez has totaled nine home runs, which is the most by a catcher before turning 22-years-old since Iván Rodríguez, a multi-time recipient of the LatinoMVP Award, tallied 21 HR from 1991-1993.
Francisco Álvarez having himself a night!
Strike 'em out throw 'em out double play 💪 pic.twitter.com/BhZkDk4yvM
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 10, 2023
So, you might be asking, what has led him to success, and why now?
“He just has instincts,” Mets right-hander Max Scherzer said of Álvarez following Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Phillies. “You can never teach instincts, you either have it or you don’t. He’s got that ‘it’ factor to him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders too for being a young kid of wanting to learn.”
Scherzer, who completed seven innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts, then added: “We got a great clubhouse and enough veterans here to learn from and he’s doing a great job of that. So, as good as he is doing right now, for him, he just needs to continue to learn and continue to get experience. And he’ll continue to get better. There’s still little things in this game that you can get better at.”
The learning curve stands true as Álvarez has gone through several occasions of rookie mistakes and errors where a prospect must experience to develop from. But, week by week with the reps and opportunities he’s given, you see the adjustments come to fruition due to the work put in behind the scenes.
Francisco Álvarez and Mets third-base coach Joey Cora – Image Credit: Simon Lisenblatt/Latino Sports
“I can’t say enough great things about him,” Mets Justin Verlander recently said about Alvarez. “He cares, number one which shows big time in the clubhouse and behind-the-plate and in the prep work. And that goes miles for pitchers. I think we all know the bat is going to be there.”
Francisco Álvarez – 2023 – Month by Month Stats
April: .194/.216/.278, 1 HR and 2 RBI – (36 At-Bats in 12 games)
May: .292/.363/.667, 7 HR and 17 RBI – (72 At-Bats in 22 games)
Francisco Álvarez – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Yet another prime example: Álvarez was seen early Thursday morning working with third base coach Joey Cora on specific fielding and catching drills. For a minimum of 15-20 minutes, Álvarez focused on proper footwork and hand-eye coordination by playing pepper along the side of the first base dugout. To follow, he then went to work with Scherzer in the pregame to prepare for the Phillies lineup.
A full day’s work for the new kid on the block: Francisco Álvarez.
Robert Rizzo is a journalist and co-editor of Latino Sports – Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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