Mets' Luis Torrens Is Quietly Changing the Narrative Around Him

The veteran catcher has been on a tear through the first half of this month.

New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens is off to a hot start at the plate in August. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first half of the 2026 season wasn’t great for the New York Mets or veteran catcher Luis Torrens. The Mets were on the fast track towards the bottom of the National League standings, while Torrens couldn’t get into a groove at the plate.

The backup catcher slashed .216/.278/.315 with two home runs, 18 RBI, and a .593 OPS in 59 games (46 starts) in the first half. Torrens isn’t known for his offense, as he’s a career .228 hitter. His calling is defense, as this season he’s ranked in the 96th percentile in framing (5) and 93rd percentile in caught stealing above average (4), per Baseball Savant.

In fact, Torrens’ defense likely played a part in why his name was popping up in rumors ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month. However, the Mets were reportedly reluctant to move him, and they made the right decision, as the 30-year-old catcher has been cooking at the plate this month and the second half of the 2026 campaign.

Torrens’ second-half spark is giving Mets fans something to cheer about

With the playoffs out of the picture, the Mets are playing for pride and roster positioning for next season. Torrens doesn’t have to worry about the latter as he signed a two-year, $11.5 million extension in May, keeping him in New York until after the 2028 season.

The veteran backstop is in a groove at the plate right now, slugging .375 with three home runs, eight RBI, and a ridiculous 1.411 OPS across five games this month. At no other point this season did Torrens have a batting average north of .300.

Torrens hit his third homer in Wednesday’s night loss to the Atlanta Braves. It was a 375-foot shot to the opposite field off a 91-mph four-seam fastball in the sixth inning from starter Tyler Mahle.

Luis Torrens gets the Mets on the board with a homer the other way! pic.twitter.com/BZftgDVKm7

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 13, 2026

This season, the Venezuelan native has hammered fastballs, slugging .280 with five doubles and four home runs. Torrens’ only other home run this season has come on a breaking ball.

Before the calendar flipped to August, Torrens’ best month at the plate was in July, where he hit .231 with three doubles and four RBI. His OPS last month was .610, which was down from June (.658), but it was the third straight month it sat at .600 or better.

Overall, the veteran catcher is slashing .306/.390/.611 with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, and an OPS of 1.001 in 11 games (10 starts) during the second half of the season.

If you’re Mets manager Andy Green, you are excited to see this uptick in offense from Torrens, especially on nights when Francisco Alvarez will not play. There are many teams in the majors who don’t have one good catcher, let alone the luxury of two.

The Mets’ rival in the Bronx is finding that out the hard way this season, given their catching woes.

That being said, the Mets should be excited about this development and hope that Torrens can keep it up. In a season that has been frustrating to watch at various points, seeing the veteran get hot at the plate shows New York made the right decision to give him an extension and not trade him at the deadline when they could’ve added more to their farm system.

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