The Mets Need to Make a Change With Their Catching Duo Soon

They need to pivot quickly

Enough time has gone by. The Mets need a shakeup at catcher before it's too late. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Mets are set to be without starting catcher Francisco Alvarez for the next two months, forcing them to turn to backups Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger. Alvarez had already slugged four homers on the year with a .710 OPS, serving as important offensive depth in a Mets' lineup that was struggling at the time of his injury. The Mets have been injury-riddled all year, but a blow at the catching positions puts them in a much larger hole to climb out of than any other position.

The Mets called up top prospects in the outfield and the rotation to help alleviate injury issues so far, but don't quite have the same leeway to do so at catcher. The Mets' catching depth in Triple-A Syracuse was suspect to begin the year, and Alvarez's injury only made their situation worse. Former Yankee Ben Rortvedt figures to be the next man up, but has posted just a .650 OPS to start the year in Triple-A.

The Mets don't have any internal options to turn to at catcher, and the lack of production from their current tandem is becoming too apparent to ignore. Torrens is not going anywhere after signing a two-year extension with the Mets, and has seen his numbers somewhat improve in May vs. April and March—a .607 OPS this month compared to a .467 OPS prior.

Luis Torrens's performance has slowly improved as the 2026 MLB season continues. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

This leaves Senger as the movable piece in the Mets' catching setup, and it might be time for president of baseball operations David Stearns to look to external options to add to the roster until Alvarez returns from his meniscus tear.

Mets need to look at external options to upgrade over Hayden Senger

The Mets cannot go the next two months with Senger and Torrens as their catching options if they are hoping to get back into the National League playoff picture. Senger was a feel-good story coming out of camp in 2025, but they are now at a point where they need to prioritize production at the positions. Over two seasons in the big leagues, Senger now owns a .399 OPS with no homers, one extra-base hit, and 24 strikeouts in 88 plate appearances.

MLB catchers have an average OPS of just over .660 so far this year, which is obviously not a great mark for an entire position, but shows that Senger's offensive struggles are not something the team needs to live with. The Mets could look to other struggling teams to find an offensive replacement, especially those trending in the wrong direction heading into the summer months. The Astros, for example, might be open to trading veteran Christian Vásquez as they now sit 11 games under .500, and trade rumors around the team have already begun.

Based on his initial six-to-eight-week timeline, the Mets might not see Alvarez again until after the All-Star break, and the Mets might have decided their trade deadline direction by then. They are playing significantly better baseball in May than they did in April, but their black hole in the lineup at the catcher spot is too obvious to ignore forever.

The Mets are on an upward trajectory in the National League playoff picture. They can move even further up over the next week or two with the Nationals, Marlins, and Reds on their upcoming schedule, four total teams separated by only five games in the loss column. The Mets need to take advantage of these games, and adding a better offensive option at catcher can push them back into the playoff hunt.