New York Mets Power Hitter Primed For Breakout Season
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The New York Mets had a handful of players named to ESPN's 2024 Top 100 Major League Baseball players list, but they might have a few more potential players on their roster.
To look ahead to the future of the league, ESPN went through every team and found their most likely player to be the next one to make the Top 100 list.
For the Mets, they looked to one of the hottest young bats in the league.
22-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez could be the next player on New York to emerge as one of the league's best.
He wasn't one to hit for average as a rookie, hitting just above .200 last season, but he had plenty of power.
Alvarez had 25 home runs and 63 runs batted in as a rookie.
He's flashed that power again in Spring Training as he is up to three homers in just nine games.
The biggest thing for him will be getting on base more as he had an on-base percentage of just .284 last season.
It's a small sample size, but he has had a nice spring so far in terms of getting on base more often. If he can keep it up above .300 then he'll start getting more and more respect around the country.
Jeff McNeil was also named as a veteran that hasn't made the list but still could.
If McNeil wants to break into that list at 32, he'll likely need to get his bat back to the level it was at in 2022 while also adding power.
Veterans need to make a splash to get the attention of national media just as much as a younger player needs to.
The Mets have a couple of prospects that are worth getting excited about, but none that will likely jump ahead of Alvarez before he makes his debut on the list.
