Mets Top Prospect Francisco Álvarez to Make First Start of Year Sunday
Mets fans will get to see the team’s top prospect up close and personal this weekend.
According to Mets manager Buck Showalter, Francisco Álvarez will be behind the plate for New York’s series finale with the Marlins on Sunday.
Álvarez, 21, had a cup of coffee with the Mets at the end of 2022 after ripping through the minors in 2021-22.
The young catcher appeared in just five games with the big club but did rock his first MLB home run against the Nationals during the Mets’ final series of the season.
Right after the year ended, Álvarez underwent surgery on his ankle to address cartilage damage, but returned for Spring Training.
With the Mets bringing in veteran catcher Omar Narváez, however, Álvarez began the season at Triple-A to get some additional seasoning.
Narváez landed on the injured list this week with a calf strain and is expected to miss at least two months, so Álvarez will get an extended look for the near future.
Tomás Nido is expected to see the bulk of playing time, but when Álvarez plays, he will mostly play behind the dish and not as a designated hitter.
At the time of his promotion, Álvarez had logged a 1.056 OPS at Triple-A and blasted two home runs in 16 at-bats.
Álvarez is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
READ MORE:
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- Mets Expected to call up top Prospect Francisco Alvarez
- Mets Catcher Omar Narváez To Miss 8-9 Weeks with Calf Strain
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