The Mets are back at .500 (39-39) for the first time since May 7th.
There are many reasons for the turnaround, but the biggest one is the return of Francisco Alvarez.
He started again Wednesday against the Yankees, and the Mets improved to 22-3 in their past 25 games with a catcher — a streak that began before he went on the disabled list following surgery to repair a sprained left thumb.
Then he took the mound on Wednesday, reaching base in all four of his at-bats in a 12-2 win at Citi Field.
In the third inning, Alvarez hit a 98 mph four-seam fastball from Luis Gil into the strike zone, hitting it the other way for his fourth home run of the season and third in his last five games.
When asked what he thought as a catcher about a player who did that at the plate, Alvarez smiled and said, “I think he’s a great hitter.”
The home run was Alvarez’s 30th career home run, making him just the fourth catcher in MLB history to reach that milestone before turning 23.
The other members are Johnny Bench, Ivan Rodriguez and Darrell Porter.
He also hit a double in the fifth inning, mostly on a Juan Soto error to right field, and Alvarez’s sixth-inning single gave him three hits for the third time in his past eight games.
This would be a continuation of his recent strong streak, which saw his OPS drop from .579 on June 15 to .904.
As of Wednesday, he had the second-highest OPS among Mets regulars behind Mark Vientos.
Carlos Mendoza praised Alvarez for the impact he has had on the team both offensively and defensively.
“He knows the pitchers really well and has a great presence in the dugout,” Mendoza said before the game. “His at-bats have been great lately. He’s got offensive muscle. He’s a leader.”
According to Mendoza, that leadership is especially evident in how he works with the pitchers.
“For a guy that young, he has command of the pitching staff,” Mendoza said. “He has conviction, he’s a pretty good receiver and he can shut down the base runner.”
And Alvarez has been a key part in reinvigorating the offense in recent weeks.
Wednesday marked Alvarez’s third consecutive game batting fifth, and he is continuing his strong eight-game run with 15 hits in 27 at-bats (.556), four doubles, three home runs and seven walks.
Alvarez’s return to hitting form was essential for the Mets to make a run for the National League Wild Card, and there was some concern that wearing a splint on his injured thumb would hurt his play.
But Alvarez said he used his time on the disabled list to his advantage, watching games and slowing down, and that the splint was “very uncomfortable” when he first returned but that he feels much better now.
Whatever Alvarez and the Mets are doing, it’s working.
