Mets Phenom Seen As Breakout Candidate By MLB Insider, Former Executive
The New York Mets should be able to see much more success in 2024 than they did last season.
New York had a surprising 2023 season and never was able to get on track. The Mets were expected to be one of the top teams in the National League but instead struggled and were one of the biggest sellers ahead of the trade deadline as they dealt both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
The Mets made some intriguing pickups this offseason and have some solid talent already on the roster. New York should be in a much better spot in 2024 and one player that will play an important role is young catcher Francisco Álvarez.
Álvarez impressed in 2023 and crushed 25 home runs and drove in 63 runs. He's expected to take a step forward in 2024 and earned a spot on The Athletic's Jim Bowden's 2024 All-MLB Breakout Team.
"The young catcher has impressed by diligently working on all aspects of his game," Bowden said. "A native Spanish speaker, Álvarez has also done an amazing job of learning English, which has helped him communicate better with his pitchers and other teammates.
"Most know about his raw power and ability to shut down the running game with his strong arm, but what stood out to me in Spring Training was how the Mets pitchers raved about his improvement in framing pitches and game calling, along with his work ethic and preparation. He's doing all the right things off the field to have a breakout year on the field"
Álvarez is young and already has impressed at the big league level. Expect big things out of him in 2024.
