Budding Mets Star Named Future Franchise Cornerstone
The New York Mets enter the 2024 season with a couple of players that could be seen as the team’s cornerstone.
One is shortstop Francisco Lindor, who is coming off another great season and won a Silver Slugger.
The other is Pete Alonso, who is one of the game’s best power hitters and is entering his final season under contract before he hits free agency.
Both are terrific players. But the nature of baseball is that teams are always looking toward the future — especially when you haven’t had recent success.
Take the Kansas City Royals. Their shortstop, Bobby Witt Jr., is one of the best young players in the game and the Royals see him as their future.
That’s why, earlier this week, the Royals locked Witt up into an 11-year deal filled with options and escalators that could end up paying him more than $250 million.
That got the writers at MLB.com thinking about the next budding cornerstone for the of the league’s teams.
There was two criteria for selection. First, the player had to be under 25 years old. Second, the player must already be in the Majors, unless it’s a minor-league player that is under a long-term contract like Witt’s. That would include Milwaukee Brewers phenom Jackson Chourio.
The Mets have a group of young players that fit the criteria, per MLB.com. But their selection is catcher Francisco Alvarez.
He started last season at Triple-A Syracuse but was called up to the Mets in April and spent the rest of the season in the Majors. The budding star ended up batting .209/.284/.437/.721 with 25 home runs and 63 RBI.
The site could have selected Brett Baty or Mark Vientos. But once his batting average catches up with his power, Alvarez could well fulfill that promise.
