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The New York Mets have officially recalled 23-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez from Triple-A Syracuse ahead of their Monday series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The move comes nearly a month after Alvarez was optioned on June 22 due to underwhelming offensive and defensive performances.
Prior to his demotion, Alvarez struggled both at the plate and behind it. In 35 major league games this season, he slashed .236/.319/.333 with a .652 OPS, three home runs, 11 RBIs, and a 27.5% strikeout rate across 138 plate appearances. Defensively, his pitch framing metrics plummeted, ranking in just the 9th percentile, a steep drop from his 88th percentile standing in 2024 and 95th percentile in 2023, per Baseball Savant.
However, Alvarez responded to the assignment with a torrid stretch in Syracuse. In 19 games at Triple-A, he went 20-for-67 (.299) with 11 home runs, 24 RBIs, and a 1.233 OPS (.397 OBP, .836 SLG). Notably, he homered seven times in his final 19 at-bats before the call-up. Two of his most impressive home runs included a 427-foot shot with a 111.8 mph exit velocity and a 420-foot blast that left the bat at 109.7 mph, the second-hardest hit ball in Triple-A that day.
Alvarez also made notable adjustments defensively, particularly with pitch framing. Guided by Syracuse bench coach and former MLB catcher J.P. Arencibia, Alvarez refined his one-knee stance by anchoring his back toe in the dirt, a tweak credited with improving his receiving. Coaches and pitchers at Syracuse praised his framing and overall defensive development during his stint.
Manager Carlos Mendoza praised Alvarez's progress, pointing out his work ethic, openness to feedback, and overall approach.
“He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do,” Mendoza said. “He continues to put himself in a position like, ‘hey, I'm here.’ Willingness to listen to the feedback in some of the things, whether it is defensively or offensively.”
The Mets’ catching corps has struggled in Francisco Alvarez's absence. Veteran Luis Torrens, while excelling defensively, throwing out 14 of 34 base stealers, has slashed just a .606 OPS across 66 games. Backup Hayden Senger contributed only three singles in five starts and is expected to be optioned to make room for Alvarez.
The Mets have scored only 25 runs over their last eight games and are desperate for offensive production, especially from the lower half of their lineup. With Alvarez back and swinging like the power threat he was in 2023, when he hit 25 homers as a rookie, the team hopes his turnaround in Triple-A will breathe life into their struggling offense.
It's worth noting that Alvarez’s time in the minors also resets his service time clock, granting the Mets an additional year of contractual control over the former No. 1 overall prospect.
