The Mets Have Put Together Baseball's Best Catching Tandem

[Andres Chavez]

Image courtesy of © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Things aren’t going particularly well for the New York Mets right now. Before taking the field against the Dodgers in their three-games series finale, they have lost seven straight games and are in last place in the NL East with a 7-11 record.

You can say a lot of things about the Mets' struggles thus far, but their catching tandem has been a no-doubt-about-it net positive in 2026. Starter Francisco Alvarez is among the hottest hitters in the league, and backup Luis Torrens offers the kind of defensive reliability that managers relish.

Francisco Alvarez Is Breaking Out

Let’s start with the one who is behind the plate most of the days, Alvarez. He leads the Mets with four home runs, and his 179 wRC+ ranked eighth among National League hitters with at least 50 plate appearances before Tuesday’s games. That’s not too shabby, seeing as it’s also the best mark in baseball among full-time catchers.

Alvarez’s offensive potential has always been enormous. He hit 25 home runs as a rookie in 2023, posted a 101 wRC+ a year later, and finished 2025 with a 124 wRC+ even after nursing a hamate bone injury, broken fingers, and other ailments. He entered 2026 fully healthy and ready to take off, and that’s what he’s doing.

Alvarez is basically walking a bit more than ever before while cutting his strikeout rate from 26.4 percent last year to 18.2 percent in 2026. That major improvement, plus his amazing contact metrics, have allowed him to increase his batting average to a solid .283.

The backstop is also hitting the ball with authority, so it’s not just empty contact. His 50 percent hard-hit rate ranks in the 79th percentile, and his 23.5 percent barrel rate is absolutely elite, in the 97th percentile. His expected slugging percentage is a jaw-dropping .722, significantly better than his .605 actual mark. So, if you think he has been magnificent, well, he has actually been a bit unlucky, too.

Alvarez has managed to grow at the plate every year and against every pitch, as his xwOBA chart indicates that he is one of the most dangerous hitters in the National League:

Luis Torrens Has Been An Asset Behind The Plate

Torrens is not much of a hitter, with a career 80 wRC+ and a 63 mark this year, in 19 trips to the plate. He justifies his spot on the roster with excellent skills behind the plate, though.

Besides being a solid game-caller, Torrens is above-average to excellent in virtually every facet of his craft: blocking, throwing, and framing. In fact, he racked up 10 FRV (Fielding Run Value, a Statcast metric that considers contributions in all those departments) last year, good enough to rank fifth among MLB catchers with at least 600 innings.

This year, Torrens already has +2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +1 FRV. He is a net positive in the ever-important framing department, and pitchers completely trust him.

Torrens’ lack of offense caps his ceiling to a very solid backup, but the Mets are extremely happy with his work. He is the perfect complement to Alvarez.

The Whole Package: Alvarez Can Be An Above-Average Defensive Catcher

While Torrens’ limited bat prevents him from being an All-Star catcher, it’s fair to say that Alvarez can be a solid defensive backstop. In fact, he has been one in the past, but we would have to go to 2023 to find some of his best work.

That season, a 21-year-old Alvarez ranked in the 95th percentile in Fielding Run Value, with 11. He was also in the 97th percentile in framing, so yes: if injuries don’t get in the way, we are talking about a potential two-way contributor at one of baseball’s most important positions.

Alvarez regressed to a -5 DRS and -6 FRV last year, but it was also a rough campaign for him health-wise. He is still only 24, though, so a return to his 2023 form or at least close to it is not entirely out of the question.

In any case, the Mets have plenty of things to worry about right now, but their catchers definitely aren’t one of them.

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