PORT ST. LUCIE — It’d take a second-year leap from Francisco Alvarez for the Mets to noticeably contend for the postseason this season.
In his first sport of the spring, nonetheless, Alvarez wasted little time providing encouragement {that a} leap may very well be coming.
The gifted, 22-year-old catcher swatted an opposite-field homer in his second at-bat of the Grapefruit League season, a two-run blast off Houston righty A.J. Blubaugh in Sunday’s third inning.
“I really feel superb. It feels very good,” Alvarez stated after the Mets’ first exhibition win of the season, 3-1 over the Astros at Clover Park.
Alvarez belted 25 house runs — essentially the most by a catcher at age 21 or youthful since Johnny Bench’s 26 in 1969 — throughout a wildly spectacular if offensively uneven rookie marketing campaign final yr.
The as soon as No. 1 prospect in all of baseball introduced the facility however hit simply .209 with a .721 OPS. When he was sizzling, he sizzled (equivalent to a blistering Might through which he crushed seven homers and posted a 1.029 OPS), and when he was chilly, he was frigid (equivalent to a tough .456-OPS August).
In his first sport of the spring, Alvarez regarded snug instantly.
He smashed what turned an infield single down the third-base line towards righty Brandon Bielak within the first inning after which drilled a top-of-the-zone fastball 354 ft into the right-field seats in his subsequent and remaining at-bat.
If Alvarez’s bat steadies, his ceiling may as effectively be a cathedral ceiling.
Alvarez has declined to quote a objective for what number of homers he can hit, specializing in wins and never wanting to place a cap on the dinger whole.
All alongside final season, his protection — which arrived with extra questions than his bat — impressed. Alvarez was among the many league’s finest at framing pitches and threw out 13 % of base runners, a stat he wish to enhance upon.
Alvarez stated he hoped an Astros base runner would try a steal whereas he was within the sport, however none did.
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First-year supervisor Carlos Mendoza loved the swing but in addition was happy with the way in which Alvarez caught the Mets’ beginning pitcher.
“The way in which he labored with [José] Butto was actually good to see,” Mendoza stated.