The New York Mets have had a fairly rough go of it for much of the 2023 MLB season. The team currently resides in fourth place in the National League East, looking up at the Braves. Phillies and Marlins.

The Mets got a phenomenal performance from Max Scherzer recently. The team is likely to become sellers at the trade deadline.

As far as silver linings go, the play of 21-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez is a big one so far this season. The play of Alvarez called to mind the days of New York Mets legend Darryl Strawberry recently, according to a surprising statistic.

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The Mets currently rank 21st in MLB in hitting, which is what makes Alvarez's performance that much more impressive. The 5-foot-10, 233 pound catcher has hit 19 home runs on the season to go along with a .242 batting average. Alvarez has 39 RBI, although his on-base percentage needs serious improvement.

The Mets defeated the Chicago White Sox by a score of 11-10 on Tuesday, adding to a solid streak of performances in their last 10 games. While a run toward an NL Central title is highly unlikely this season, the hope for Mets manager Buck Showalter and staff is that the team can continue to build for both now and the future.

For fans who have grown fond of watching Alvarez do his thing both at the plate and behind the plate, the good news is that he is not listed among the three Mets most likely to be traded before the 2023 deadline.