Top prospect Francisco Alvarez has all the credentials to be a guiding force for the future of the New York Mets. But the Mets are willing to see what he can do in the present, and get him into the biggest streak of the season against the Atlanta Braves.
Called to his MLB debut before the opening of the series between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets that could determine the Eastern National League winner, 20-year-old Francisco Alvarez, the MLB’s best overall prospect per MLBPipeline.com, was instantly slotted into the lineup. Mets Friday night, serving as the team’s designated hitter and seventh hitter.
The Mets are hoping Alvarez can put some pop into the DH slot, a position that has been slow rather than full in New York this season. With Friday’s opening game approaching, the Mets Minus 1.2 bWAR from the DH position in 2022ranks 18th in the MLB.
The Mets are expected to use Alvarez in the DH position much more than he has in the catcher throughout the end of the regular season and possibly into the post-season as well. As FanSided’s Robert Murray explains here, Alvarez could be a postseason qualification, which means the Mets can boost their lineup during baseball in October…
Francisco Alvarez can affect the New York Mets in a big way
If Alvarez can become a force for the Mets in the DH center (especially against the left pitch, where he will face Friday night against Atlanta Max Fried), then New York will definitely get even more powerful, especially if the Mets can win a National League race. East and earn the second seed, giving the team some break during the Wild Card round and extra time to set their NLDS roster.
These weekend matches will not only be a compass for what awaits the Mets as a team this season, but also how Alvarez will be used going forward.
Why do the Mets need help with DH? Since coming on a commercial deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 22, Daniel Vogelbach has appeared in 161 games with the Mets in the DH spot. He’s the second-largest player of the season, trailing only JD Davis, who was traded from New York to San Francisco on the trade deadline to Darren Rove, another candidate to fill in the Mets in DH. However, Ruf has only cut .152/.216/.197 in 28 games for the Mets while Vogelbach scored only .217/.342/.464 in August and only made one home run in September.
Simply put, Alvarez has the opportunity to start creating his legacy with the Mets now. Alvarez, who could help the Mets win a series in Atlanta and come close to the NL East title would do just that.
What could Alvarez mean for New York Postseason opportunities? We’ll know more about that answer after his Friday night debut and how he’s coping with a strong trio of Atlanta bowlers this weekend.
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