New York Mets Top Prospect Francisco Alvarez One Step Away From Major Leagues
Moving up.
New York Mets top prospect catcher Francisco Alvarez is being promoted to Triple A Syracuse, as a source confirmed to Inside the Mets.
MLB Pipeline first said it was close and The New York Post reported Alvarez was officially informed of his promotion.
Alvarez's promotion is well-earned after he slashed .277/.368/.553 with a .921 OPS, 18 home runs and 47 RBIs for Double A Binghamton across 67 games.
Alvarez is expected to report to Syracuse on Monday, but will then need to go through the proper Covid protocol testing with his new team. This means he could make his Triple A debut by next weekend.
While the Mets haven't ruled out a major league call-up for Alvarez this season, they want him to first see Triple A pitching. The Mets are very pleased with Alvarez's ability to make adjustments after the 20-year-old endured a slump in the early part of May, before catching fire again.
Now, the possibility of Alvarez making his big-league debut this season appears to be more likely. The Mets do not want their youngster to come up and be looked at as "the savior," but if the team acquires a big bat ahead of the trade deadline, this could also increase Alvarez's chances of making it to Queens at some point in 2022.
Alvarez's bat is considered to be big-league ready, but his defensive skills need to be further polished, before he gets to the majors. The Mets want their No. 1 prospect to be a two-way player, which means they cannot limit him to strictly being a DH in the big-leagues.
Alas, Alvarez's promotion to Syracuse is significant news, as he is now one step away from the majors.
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