PORT ST. LUCIE — Francisco Alvarez gained’t flip 21 till subsequent offseason, by which period he hopes to have already performed his first main league recreation for the Mets.
The catcher, the group’s prime prospect, divulged his purpose for the season Friday earlier than a exercise at minor league camp.
“Make it to the bigs,” Alvarez stated via an interpreter. “That's the purpose this yr.”
Alvarez, baseball’s No. 10 prospect, in response to MLB Pipeline, should present he’s prepared behind the plate if he’s going to have an opportunity at attaining that purpose. Offensively, the early indicators have been constructive — he had a slash line of .272/.388/.554 with 24 homers and 70 RBIs final yr in 99 video games for Low-A St. Lucie and Excessive-A Brooklyn. However solely 59 of these video games got here at catcher (he was additionally used at designated hitter), because the group regarded to maintain him recent in his first actual full season.
It’s doable he'll start this season at Double-A Binghamton, though the Mets might additionally determine to first give him further reps with Brooklyn, the place he performed 84 video games final yr.
The Mets signed the Venezuelan in 2018 for $2.7 million, a franchise-record bonus for a global participant. It was a part of a global market philosophy carried out by Sandy Alderson, throughout his tenure as common supervisor, by which the group regarded to signal higher-end prospects (Ronny Mauricio obtained $2.1 million the earlier yr) as a substitute of spreading out the Mets’ bonus allotment over dozens of gamers. Beneath GM Brodie Van Wagenen the Mets reverted to spreading out their bonus cash over many gamers. However following Alderson’s return as group president, the Mets are once more pursuing higher-end gamers within the worldwide market. These fruits ought to be harvested subsequent offseason, as worldwide gamers typically attain agreements with groups one or two years earlier than formally signing.
Alvarez carries a sturdy body — he's listed at 5-foot-11 and 233 kilos.
“I've been engaged on my physique, working within the weight room quite a bit and dealing on my protection and simply all the things, as a result of I wish to compete,” Alvarez stated.
The Mets have sought a long-term resolution behind the plate since Mike Piazza departed following the 2005 season. Since then, the group has employed largely a mixture of veterans and gamers developed via the system who loved solely transient success. A high-profile commerce acquisition, Travis d’Arnaud, spent a lot of his Mets tenure on the injured listing, however has since developed right into a reliable catcher for the Braves. The Mets will head into this season with James McCann (who obtained a four-year deal price $40.6 million in December of 2020) and Tomas Nido behind the plate.
Alvarez confirmed a flash of his potential in spring coaching final yr when he homered towards Jacob deGrom throughout a simulated recreation. Alvarez nonchalantly flipped the bat as he realized the ball was about to clear the right-field fence.
“That's one thing I'll always remember,” Alvarez stated.
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