Mets recall Francisco Álvarez, MLB’s prime total prospect

NEW YORK — When the Mets optioned 21-year-old catching prospect Francisco Álvarez to Triple-A Syracuse within the remaining week of Spring Training, they envisioned him accumulating important reps behind the plate, bettering at a fast price and, finally, incomes a everlasting promotion.

Instead, circumstances have modified the group’s plans. The group discovered Thursday that beginning catcher Omar Narváez is prone to miss two months or extra attributable to 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.

“I was surprised,” Álvarez stated via an interpreter. “I got the call from the Triple-A manager, and I was eating at the time. I just said, ‘Damn, I’ve got to get ready to get on my flight.’”

Álvarez didn’t end his meal, as an alternative heading to Syracuse Hancock International Airport for the brief journey to New York.

“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 stated 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 dwelling 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 seek out out now, following a disappointing first highway journey that noticed them go 3-4 in Miami and Milwaukee. With Narváez sidelined till no less than 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 group that ranked twenty fourth within the Majors with 3.29 runs per sport over the primary week of the season. The group’s different choice was Michael Pérez, a robust defensive catcher with a profession .545 OPS within the Majors. Unlike Álvarez, Pérez is just not on the 40-man roster. The Mets had signed each Pérez and Narváez this offseason partly as a result of they wished 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 thus far resisted calls this season to advertise two different prime 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 great want.

Upon selling Álvarez, supervisor Buck Showalter was unwilling to disclose how a lot taking part in time the prospect may obtain, although he hinted that Nido will proceed to see heavy use behind the plate. Nido began at catcher for Friday’s dwelling opener, and he may do the identical Saturday with Kodai Senga on the mound.

“It’s kind of like a backup quarterback that gets drafted out of college,” Showalter stated. “Everybody knows he’s going to be a really good player, but the time he spends as a backup is very valuable, too. Tomás is pretty good, OK? He does a great job for us.”