Where Mets Prospects Francisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos Stand in Their Development
Third baseman Brett Baty was the first one to break into the major leagues among the Mets’ exciting group of top prospect position players, and he might wind up being the only one to do so in 2022.
The Mets are very high on catcher Francisco Alvarez and DH/first basemen Mark Vientos, both of whom played in MLB's All-Star Futures Game in July. But that doesn't mean we will see either player in the big leagues in the regular season or postseason this year.
Alvarez, who is just 20-years-old, still needs to work on his receiving/framing skills behind the plate, the toughest aspect in a catcher’s development. While the backstop’s bat has shown silver slugger potential, he has yet to put together sustained success with Triple-A Syracuse: .167 batting average, .667 OPS, five homers, 18 RBI across 31 games. The Mets also want him to see more established plus-to-better breaking balls at the plate, before coming up to the big leagues.
Alvarez is now the No. 1 ranked prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and has shown the ability to make adjustments at each level in the minors. He also has the mental makeup to come out of slumps, which is a sign that he will have success in the major leagues.
The Mets have James McCann, Tomas Nido and Michael Perez as their top-three catchers, as they’re prioritizing defense and game-calling. Mets’ catchers have struggled offensively in 2022, but these backstops occupy the No. 9 hole and bring value behind the dish defensively.
With the additions of Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, Tyler Naquin and the call-up of Baty, the Mets’ lineup is deeper and can afford lesser production from the catching position, for now.
As for Vientos, who is having a monster season offensively in Triple-A Syracuse with 22 home runs, 66 RBI and a .908 OPS, he doesn't fit on the major league roster, given Pete Alonso, Ruf and Vogelbach occupy the first base and DH spots.
So right now, Vientos is a depth piece at Syracuse, in case there is an injury on the big-league roster, and a potential DH option in 2023. But that’s not a bad thing. Mets people rave about Vientos’ "unbelievable" power, especially to the opposite field.
Vientos, who hit one home run in his high school career, has not only grown into his plus-power projection, he has shown growth and maturity each season in the minor leagues. Vientos began journaling during his ruts at the plate, and at just 22-years-old, has developed some impressive leadership qualities.
The main knock against Vientos is his glove. The Mets are an organization that values positional versatility, and Vientos isn't known for his defensive skills. He mostly serves as a DH and first baseman, and has basically been moved off of playing third base. The good news is that Vientos is working with former Mets infielder and current minor league instructor Tim Teufel to improve defensively.
There are 39 games left to play in the regular season, so things can change regarding the possible call-ups of Alvarez and/or Vientos. That said, the first place Mets are in a position, in which they don’t have to rush the development of two players who are expected to play key roles on this team in 2023 and beyond.
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