Inside The Mets

New York Mets Rookie Francisco Alvarez Leads Baseball in This Category

Find out what category New York Mets rookie phenom Francisco Alvarez leads baseball in.

Pat Ragazzo

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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With the New York Mets down to their final strike against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez came up clutch.

Alvarez launched a pitch from reliever Andrew Chafin over the wall in right field to tie the game at 1-1.

Brett Baty then singled before Mark Canha drove him home with an RBI triple to give the Mets a lead they would not relinquish. 

But it was Alvarez, who initially saved the day. For the second straight game, the top prospect delivered an important home run, as the day prior his two-run shot proved to be game-winning.

These heroic long balls have become the norm for Alvarez, who leads baseball in this category.

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Alvarez now has five game-tying or game-winning home runs in the sixth inning or later, which is the most in MLB.

Alvarez is still just 21-years-old, but his 15 homers also lead all catchers in the game as well.

Since being called up, the rookie is slashing .221/.276/.487 with a .763 OPS and 30 RBIs. 

Not only has he been impactful with the bat, but his defense has been among league best, too. 

In the same game, in which he hit the game-tying homer, Alvarez made a spectacular sliding play behind the backstop on a strikeout that got away. The youngster fired a one hopper to first from his knees to somehow get the runner.

Alvarez is ranked 10th in framing, according to Baseball Savant. He also ranks 14th in Baseball Prospectus's catcher defensive metric. 

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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