Francisco Álvarez Is Catching On

NEW YORK — It could be an understatement to say that the Mets have had catching points in recent times as they’ve cycled via growing older free brokers, however they lastly have a homegrown resolution at hand in Francisco Álvarez. The 21-year-old Venezuela native entered the season as the sport’s high catching prospect, and whereas he lacked a transparent path to taking part in time, a double whammy of accidents cleared the way in which. So far Álvarez has impressed whereas gaining the belief of the pitching workers’s veterans, together with Max Scherzer. On Thursday afternoon, the three-time Cy Young winner and the rookie clicked for the previous’s greatest begin of the season. 

Scherzer accomplished seven innings for the second begin in a row, and struck out a season-high 9 hitters. The effort helped safe a 4-2 win that accomplished a three-game sweep of the Phillies and pulled the Mets (30-27) to inside 3.5 video games of the NL East-leading Braves (33-23), the closest they’ve been since May 1.

Leaning on his four-seam fastball greater than ordinary, notably with two strikes, Scherzer set season highs for whiffs (22) and CSW% (36%) in addition to strikeouts. Fifteen of these whiffs got here by way of his fastball, which generated a 49% CSW%. Afterwards, Scherzer cited his catcher’s game-calling as the important thing to his efficiency:

“I believed as we speak, crucial factor was sequencing, I believed we had been mixing up what we wish to do, he’s nice with it. He’s understanding how I believe and pitch. 

“When you catch that rhythm, you kind of know how to keep turning through a lineup and how you’re going to face them the first time, the second time, the third time. I had good stuff, but I thought the sequencing was even better.”

Scherzer credited Álvarez with serving to him get extra comfy with the PitchCom system, of which he was essential final yr whereas adopting it with reservations. “I want Alvy to call the game, I don’t want to have to override him, I don’t want to have to call a pitch unless I really know it,” he mentioned. “We’re not using any fingers. And that’s a big change for me, it’s so foreign just being on PitchCom. But working with him, we’re in a good rhythm.”

It took the higher a part of the primary inning to determine that rhythm on Thursday, as one in all Álvarez’s weaknesses was spotlighted. After yielding a one-out single to Trea Turner, Scherzer walked Bryce Harper, and when he threw a low-and-away fastball to Nick Castellanos on 1-2, Turner led the way in which on a double steal try. Álvarez’s throw sailed to the left of third baseman Brett Baty and into left area as Turner scored on the error; Harper took third, then got here dwelling on Castellanos’ sacrifice fly, placing the Mets in a 2-0 gap.

The steals had been Álvarez’s thirty fifth and thirty sixth allowed this season, the NL’s third-highest complete; he’s thrown out simply 5 baserunners, for a hit fee of 12%. By Statcast’s catcher throwing metrics, which management for the gap of the leadoff, runner velocity, pitch location, pitcher and batter handedness, and extra, Álvarez’s -2 Catcher Stealing Runs is tied for the main’s third-lowest mark. His common pop time of 1.94 seconds locations him within the 67th percentile however is notably greater than the occasional sub-1.80 instances famous in his prospect report, neutralizing his plus arm at the very least considerably.

(So lengthy as we’re peeking at defensive information, it’s price noting that Álvarez’s blocking and framing have each scored nicely within the early going by way of Statcast; he’s one run above common within the former class, and three runs above within the latter. By FanGraphs’ framing information, he’s 4.9 runs above common, good for fourth within the majors, and by the framing-inclusive model of Defensive Runs Saved — which isn’t used within the calculation of bWAR — his six runs above common is tied for the main league lead.)

Beyond the throwing mishap, Álvarez didn’t have any additional troubles behind the plate. Facing outdated good friend Taijuan Walker, the Mets scratched out a run within the third inning on two walks and a Jeff McNeil single, then took the lead within the fourth on Mark Canha’s two-run homer, and added an insurance coverage run within the sixth by way of Mark Vientos‘ sacrifice fly. Scherzer scattered four additional hits but didn’t stroll one other batter or enable one other run after the primary, and the bullpen — Jeff Brigham, Brooks Raley, and Drew Smith — preserved the lead and wrapped up the win.

Álvarez has caught three of Scherzer’s final 4 begins, a span throughout which he’s allowed simply 4 runs (three earned) in 25 innings whereas wanting like a future Hall of Famer who’s nonetheless received loads of good innings remaining. That’s a giant change from a couple of weeks in the past, after bodily woes and an ejection for utilizing a international substance restricted Scherzer to six.1 innings in a 33-day span: 

Álvarez has began 32 of the Mets’ first 57 video games because of the accidents of Omar Narváez and Tomás Nido, which wasn’t what the crew initially deliberate for the no. 13 prospect on our preseason Top 100 listing. He was initially assigned to Triple-A Syracuse, the place he performed 45 video games final yr after a 67-game stint at Double-A Binghamton. Álvarez hit a mixed .260/.374/.511 between the 2 stops final yr, incomes a five-game cup of espresso with the Mets in addition to a spot on the postseason roster.

Given the abysmal .217/.264/.306 efficiency the Mets received from their catchers (primarily Nido and James McCann), and the shortage of offense they acquired from righty designated hitter Darin Ruf, followers clamored for Álvarez to reach in Queens even prior to he did. It’s not onerous to think about that heeding these calls may have made the distinction in a division race the place the 101-win Mets and Braves had been separated solely by a head-to-head tiebreaker that pressured New York to play a Wild Card Series (which it misplaced) whereas Atlanta acquired a first-round bye.

The Mets signed the 31-year-old Narváez to a two-year, $15 million deal this previous winter, hoping he may mentor Álvarez whereas upgrading a perennial weak spot. Since 2018 — when Travis d’Arnaud tore his ulnar collateral ligament early in April — via the tip of final season, the crew’s catchers hit for only a 76 wRC+, tied for twenty third within the majors, and produced a meager 2.8 WAR, which ranked twenty fifth. Wilson Ramos, whom the crew signed to a two-year, $19 million free agent deal in December 2018, accounted for greater than half of that WAR (1.5) in ’19 whereas hitting for a 106 wRC+, the one average-or-better efficiency by a Mets catcher with at the very least 120 PA in that five-season span.

Ramos’ 2020 decline prompted the ill-advised signing of McCann to a four-year, $40.6 million deal in December of that yr. He netted simply 0.9 WAR within the first two seasons of that contract earlier than being traded to the Orioles for a participant to be named later (Luis De La Cruz) in December, with the Mets consuming $19 million of the $24 million remaining on his deal. McCann was restricted to 53 video games final yr because of a fractured hamate and an indirect pressure. That’s how Nido, whose solely earlier full season on a significant league roster since 2017 was within the pandemic-shortened ’20 season, made a career-high 86 begins. He hit a meager .239/.276/.324 (74 wRC+) however was good for 7.2 framing runs by our metric, and 6 by that of Statcast, with an extra three runs above common in blocking and one in stolen base prevention by way of the latter supply.

Narváez, who hit for only a 71 wRC+ final yr however owns a profession 101 mark and was price 2.8 WAR as lately as 2021, was slated to begin forward of Nido, however he performed simply 5 video games earlier than struggling a medium-to-high-grade pressure of his left calf and touchdown on the 60-day injured listing, which led the Mets to summon Álvarez from Syracuse. While crew officers had insisted throughout the spring that if Álvarez was within the majors, he would catch repeatedly, supervisor Buck Showalter didn’t appear to be in a rush to jot down him into the lineup, telling reporters that the rookie would obtain “some” taking part in time however making clear he was the understudy by saying, “It’s kind of like a backup quarterback that gets drafted out of college. Everybody knows he’s going to be a really good player, but the time he spends as a backup is very valuable too.” 

Álvarez began simply two of the primary seven video games for which he was on the lively roster; the Mets misplaced each whereas profitable the opposite 5, all began by Nido. But whether or not or not Showalter wanted a nudge from above, Álvarez quickly started getting extra reps. From April 15 to the tip of the month, he began 9 video games to Nido’s seven, although he hit simply .194/.216/.278 in 51 plate appearances for April. Nido was even much less productive on the plate, nonetheless, and after getting only one extra begin on May 5, he went on the IL with “dry eye syndrome” and an eye-watering .118/.148/.118 (-25) batting line in 55 PA himself. 

Since the start of May, Álvarez has began 22 of the crew’s 30 video games, with Michael Perez and Gary Sánchez every beginning two video games apiece to offer him a breather; each have since departed, with the previous again in Syracuse and the latter in San Diego. Nido, who made a late-inning cameo after being activated on May 25, solely made his first begin since returning on Wednesday evening. The repetitions allowed Álvarez to settle in, and it paid off handsomely, as he hit .292/.363/.667 with seven homers in May, together with 5 in an eight-game span from May 17–26. For the month, he led the crew’s regulars in slugging share and positioned second in homers behind Pete Alonso. Even with an 0-for-3 on Thursday, he’s batting .252/.308/.523 for a 129 wRC+, third on the crew behind Alonso (141 wRC+) and Brandon Nimmo (131 wRC+). His complete of eight homers is already probably the most by any 21-or-under catcher since Ivan Rodriguez in 1993.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” mentioned Justin Verlander of Álvarez lately. “I think we all know the bat is going to be there. But the work he’s done behind the plate, and the work he’s done to get to know the pitchers, and the improvements he’s made already, it’s just a great sign for him as a future major leaguer.” Grizzled veterans similar to Carlos Carrasco and David Robertson have sung his praises for his preparation and dealing with of the workers, whereas hitting coach Jeremy Barnes has counseled his willingness to make changes to what had too typically been an all-or-nothing strategy. Notably, the place Álvarez struck out 35.1% of the time in April, he’s trimmed that to 19.3% since, and the place he didn’t have a single barrel in April, he’s barreled 13.6% of his batted balls since.

With Nido now again and Narváez in Syracuse on his rehab project, the Mets will quickly face a catching crunch. Showalter mentioned again in April that he would contemplate DHing Álvarez when he’s not catching, “if he shows he’s an offensive force up here,” which he has. That may very well be unhealthy information for Vientos, who has hit simply .192/.214/.308 in 28 PA whereas serving primarily as a platoon accomplice for lefty DH Daniel Vogelbach.

Showalter didn’t point out DH responsibility on Thursday when requested in regards to the potential crowd of catchers, sounding as if he anticipated to hold all three. “I’m gonna make use of all of ’em,” he mentioned. “Tomás had a good game last night behind the plate, got a base hit, I think we won’t forget he’s been a good catcher for us. Omar’s around the corner, but I kind of like where Francisco is. I’m not gonna box anybody out.”

All of which means that on the very least, the child stays within the image. While Álvarez is way from a completed product, he’s clearly a particular one.

“He just has instincts. You can never teach instincts, you either have it or you don’t. He’s kind of got that it factor to him,” mentioned Scherzer. “He just needs to continue to learn and continue to get experience, and he’ll continue to get better… As long as he has that attitude, and wants to get better every single day, he’s gonna be a great player.”