Adopted: Francisco Alvarez

[Edgy MD]

They don't, but MRC expects him to open in Binghamton in 2022, which suggests a 2023 arrival date to be reasonable.

[Edgy MD]

Before last night's exhibition game against the Marlins was over, this happened.



[media=youtube]gcX0cfVspWA[/media]

[Benjamin Grimm]

James McCann has to be hearing footsteps.

[smg58]

I was just going to say, if McCann doesn't bounce back with the bat we could be seeing Alvarez sooner rather than later.

[MFS62]

He had a nice first game at AA last night, 3-5 with two doubles and a home run.



Later

[MFS62]

Her hit his second home run in his second AA game.

Do we detect a pattern here?

Later

[m8644]

Cannot wait until this kid is up here

[MFS62]

And on the third day ... he was rested.

The manager sat him.

Is it the "day game after night game " thingie?

If it is, sheesh - the kid is 20 and we're talking the third game of the season.

Let's see what the kid can do because he'll have to do it (catch day games after night games) when he reaches the majors.

And if you don't want to have him catch, there's this newfangled rule called the DH that will let him bat.

And everyone who has heard or read about him wants to see him get as many at bats as possible.

Wassup?

Inquiring minds want to know.



Later

[Edgy MD]

I think it'll be OK.

[Edgy MD]

Mets do little against Whatshisname the Nats pitche.r

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: I think it'll be OK.

We checked. I believe this was the only scheduled weekend series for Binghamton at Hartford this year.

If it weren't for another family event, I would have driven over an hour to get there, talking to my grandson about Alvarez all the way, only to get there and not seen him.

From past Binghamton visits, I know there are a lot of disappointed Mets fan families who were there today.

I'm pissed now, but I would really have been pissed if we had made the trip and not seen him.



Later

[MFS62]

Three homers in three games.

He went 2-4 in the Binghamton home opener (with 3 RBI), "dropping" his average to .538.

Later

[MFS62]

The kid has cooled off a bit.

He's "down" to .375/.429/1.000 - a 1.429 OPS.

His counting stats include 3 doubles and 4 home runs with 10 RBI in six games (the manager didn't put him in the lineup in two games).



Later

[Edgy MD]

Since his hot start, Alvarez has sort of decended in chumpitude. Coaches are trying to tell him that he's the best hitter in the league and the pitchers are expanding the strike zone to avoid him.



He's got to learn restraint, and if that happens in Bingo rather than Queens, that would be just terrific. His 1-for-5 with two strikeouts this evening dropped his average to .238.

[MFS62]

From today's Amazin Avenue:



https://www.amazinavenue.com/2022/5/31/23147484/mets-minor-league-players-of-the-week-week-seven-c-fransisco-alvarez-rhp-connor-greyhttps://www.amazinavenue.com/2022/5/31/23147484/mets-minor-league-players-of-the-week-week-seven-c-fransisco-alvarez-rhp-connor-grey

Alvarez got off to an incredible start to the season. In his first 13 games, he hit an impressive .292/.375/.667 with 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 6 walks, and 16 strikeouts, all while running a reasonable .345 BABIP. In his next 13 games, he hit .184/.305/.225 with 2 doubles, 0 home runs, 8 walks, and 13 strikeouts, all of which was coupled with a suppressed .243 BABIP. Checking the box scores, there were weak fly outs and ground balls aplenty. In his last 13 games, he is hitting .309/.339/.509 with a slightly inflated .378 BABIP. Pitchers, seemingly, adjusted to Alvarez. He seemingly started seeing less stuff that he could make solid contact with and drive, which resulted in the backstop drawing a few more walks but expanding the zone and making poor contact. He has since adjusted to the adjustments and is back to his mashing ways for now. This is a good sign, on Alvarez' part. He is still just 20-years-old. He is still just in his second full season of professional baseball. Even Barry Bonds and Mike Trout and Barry Bonds had cold spells. What makes those two players all-time greats (among other reasons) was and is their ability to regroup and return to their elite ways. That Alvarez seemingly has been able to fight out of the slump he was in bodes well for his future.

Later

[MFS62]

Francisco seems to have made adjustments to the adjustments the pitchers made for him after his blazing start and has rebounded nicely.

His numbers are now .274/.342/.514 with 12 2B and 10 HR with 28 RBI in 45 games.



Later

[MFS62]

This writer calls Alvarez "the best player in the minors".

https://sny.tv/articles/prospect-expert-mets-francisco-alvarez?fbclid=IwAR3aE7GIjXx2rv22iuJyymUkDNFf3QQyhVDmTdt8vUYBxHHJZQM2vmljRyYhttps://sny.tv/articles/prospect-expert-mets-francisco-alvarez?fbclid=IwAR3aE7GIjXx2rv22iuJyymUkDNFf3QQyhVDmTdt8vUYBxHHJZQM2vmljRyY



Later

[Edgy MD]

You can call Francisco "Lionel Richie," because he can't slow down.



Hit homer #13 in the first for Bingo today. Jordal Yamamoto picked up the win with two innings in relief.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He may not be ready for Flushing, but is it too early to ask if he's ready for Syracuse?

[smg58]

I was thinking the same thing. Catcher is the weak spot in our lineup even when McCann comes back, and while I wouldn't bring Alvarez to Queens tomorrow, seeing how he handles AAA at this point seems reasonable.

[Edgy MD]

I would guess that he gets a mid-season promotion, perhaps after the All-Star Break.



Since, like, 1990, only two catchers have stuck after debuting before their 21st birthday, I think. More have failed. It's just hard to establish starting catchers at any age. Easier to come up as a backup, and learn to hit while somebody else plays the heavy.



My first thought when it comes to catchers coming up at 20 is John Gibbons.



Doesn't mean it can't be done, of course.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I just did a Google search on "youngest all-star catcher" and got this:

Ivan Rodriguez was the youngest catcher to start an All-Star Game when he was voted to start in 1993. Pudge was 21 years old at the time (born in November 1971). He had been previously named as an alternate the year before in 1992.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy MD wrote: It's just hard to establish starting catchers at any age. Easier to come up as a backup, and learn to hit while somebody else plays the heavy.

Sticking with this, I looked to see how many catchers had enough playing time (and success) in their first season to win the Rookie of the Year award.



There have been nine:

• 1968 Johnny Bench (CIN)
  
  1970 Thurman Munson (NY)
  
  1971 Earl Williams (ATL)
  
  1972 Carlton Fisk (BOS)
  
  1987 Benito Santiago (SD)
  
  1990 Sandy Alomar Jr. (CLE)
  
  1993 Mike Piazza (LA)
  
  2008 Geovany Soto (CHN)
  
  2010 Buster Posey (SF)

I don't expect that the Mets will ditch McCann and give the job to Alvarez. I can see a year or two where they overlap, with McCann acting as a mentor, if he's willing.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Edgy MD]

Alvarez can do more than clobber homers, as he garnered two singles a double on Friday. He left the game in the 10th with what appeared to be an injury.



This appeared to be confirmed on Saturday as he sat out. He nonetheless returned to the lineup in the DH slot yesterday and ... clobbered a three-run homer.



Fortunately for the Rumble Ponies, Francisco's downtime comes while they have rehab patient James McCann with them to help out with the catching.

[MFS62]

He's hitting .285 for the season, but has hit 15 homers for Double-A Binghamton this season; 11 of them have come over his last 21 games. Álvarez leads all Double-A batters in homers, slugging percentage (.852) and OPS (1.276) over 92 plate appearances in that timeframe.

https://www.nj.com/sports/2022/06/mets-top-prospect-avoids-june-swoon-sizzles-at-the-plate.htmlhttps://www.nj.com/sports/2022/06/mets-top-prospect-avoids-june-swoon-sizzles-at-the-plate.html

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Headed to Syracuse

Was quoted as saying that this not only means he's closer to the big leagues but that now he'll get to hang with FMan, so it's a Win-Win promotion.

[Edgy MD]

Plus, he lasted long enough in Binghamton to eat on Scherzer's dime.

[Edgy MD]

Francisco 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI so far in his Syracuse debut.

[Edgy MD]

Also notable about that debut is that Alvarez threw out his first would-be base-stealer.



I still don't know what the formula is for developing a starting catcher, but MLB pipeline has named him baseball's second-best prospect.