Mets recall Francisco Álvarez, MLB’s top overall prospect
NEW YORK — When the Mets optioned 21-year-old catching prospect Francisco Álvarez to Triple-A Syracuse within the last week of Spring Training, they envisioned him accumulating vital reps behind the plate, enhancing at a speedy price and, finally, incomes a everlasting promotion.
Instead, circumstances have modified the group’s plans. The workforce realized Thursday that beginning catcher Omar Narváez is prone to miss two months or extra because of left calf pressure. The Mets positioned Narváez on the 10-day IL on Friday, clearing the trail for them to recall Álvarez, their top-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline in addition to the No. 1 total prospect within the sport.
“The first thing that came to mind was that I needed to go back down there and work hard and prove myself, so that they can call me back up eventually,” Álvarez mentioned via an interpreter following his March 22 demotion. “I think going down there, it’s going to help me get the reps that I really need and just get that experience to eventually come back up and succeed.”
An influence-hitting Venezuelan who got here to the Mets on a club-record $2.7 million signing bonus in 2018, Álvarez debuted final season with 14 plate appearances down the stretch, hitting his first profession homer and even taking an at-bat within the postseason. He crushed 27 residence runs with an .885 OPS final season within the higher Minors, although these numbers served to cover a few of Álvarez’s lingering weaknesses.
Over his first 30 video games at Triple-A, Álvarez hit .165 with a 29.8% strikeout price. He whiffed in a 3rd of his at-bats within the Majors (together with the playoffs) and in 35.7% of them this spring whereas batting .107. Álvarez additionally struck out in 42.1% of his plate appearances early this season at Syracuse, although he hit two homers and slugged .688 in 4 video games.
There can also be the matter of Álvarez’s protection, which stays unpolished. But the Mets consider he has the instruments to thrive behind the plate and intend to search out out now, following a disappointing first street journey that noticed them go 3-4 in Miami and Milwaukee. With Narváez sidelined till at the least June, Álvarez figures to share time at catcher with Tomás Nido whereas additionally receiving reps at designated hitter.
At his greatest, Álvarez is able to sparking a Mets workforce that ranked twenty fourth within the Majors with 3.29 runs per sport over the primary week of the season. The workforce’s different possibility was Michael Pérez, a powerful defensive catcher with a profession .545 OPS within the Majors. Unlike Álvarez, Pérez isn’t on the 40-man roster. The Mets had signed each Pérez and Narváez this offseason partly as a result of they needed to keep away from forcing Álvarez to the Majors earlier than he was prepared.
Time will inform if this transfer works for the Mets, who’ve to this point resisted calls this season to advertise two different high prospects, infielders Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. Álvarez is much less of a completed product than these two, however his upside is immense and he involves the Mets at a time of serious want.
