Try to remember that Francisco Alvarez is all of 21.
The kid was the last out of Tuesday night’s game against the Padres, batting with the tying run on second. He was facing Josh Hader, whose wildness had gotten him into trouble that inning but arguably served him well against Alvarez. Hader threw two balls to Alvarez, the second one forcing him backwards into the dirt, then got two swinging strikes on fastballs at the top of the zone and above it, with Alvarez clearly overeager on both. The kid laid off the next pitch, which was juuuuust a bit outside — but which set up the fatal seventh pitch. That one followed the opposite trajectory, boring in on Alvarez’s hands. It was a ball, but that wasn’t apparent until after the fact — in the moment, it wasn’t a pitch anyone could take, or that anyone could hit. It tied up Alvarez for strike three and the ballgame.
Sigh.
Alvarez has things to learn, and those are the kind of ABs that count as tough teachers. If you want to put that on him, well, I guess that’s your privilege. Things that shouldn’t be put on Alvarez include the Mets’ inability to cash in early opportunities, or Dennis Santana surrendering a home run to Xander Bogaerts that should be conking some unfortunate in Portugal on the noggin right about now. Those missteps and the woulda shoulda coulda of that ninth-inning mutterfest put this one in the category of “games I’d like to never think about again, thanks,” though we’ll put an asterisk on David Peterson for pitching quite well against a deadly Padres lineup, at least until Manny Machado prevailed in a hard-fought battle that tipped a tight game in San Diego’s direction.
There was also the presence of David Weathers, who was a Met about 19 minutes ago, or so my brain told me when I recognized him chatting with Steve Gelbs. Nope, Weathers’ Mets tenure somehow ended 19 years ago after two and a half pretty solid seasons for terrible Mets clubs; he was there watching his son Ryan ply the family trade against his old club.
Yes, David Weathers has a kid who’s a big-league pitcher. (BTW, the Padres’ Brent Honeywell is a cousin of momentary Met Mike Marshall — the cerebral pitcher turned kinesiologist, not the annoying first baseman — because of course he is.) We’ll blink our eyes and Francisco Alvarez will have an impossibly grown-up kid of his own, maybe even one billed as a can’t-miss prospect. Maybe even one we’ll watch as he learns that even can’t-miss prospects have to take a few lumps on their way up Mount Ballyhoo.
I hope the Mets don’t bury Alvarez. The team will be in California for 10 games. Alvarez should DH in every single game. If he’s not ready yet, you can send him back down to AAA before he has to face the Mets faithful again. If Alvarez is better than the designated hitters that the Mets currently have on the roster, then you can make one of those other guys the back-up catcher. Alvarez isn’t a catcher yet, he may never be one. But that’s not a fan’s problem. The Mets don’t have enough offense, and if Alvarez can provide some offense, you have to let him play every day.
spot ON
It was time for Alvarez to get his feet wet, and I was pleased for him to have the experience regardless of outcome. We know what we have with Nido and his ceiling as a player (it is always surprising to me when he does not fly out to the right fielder). This kid has struggled and then figured it out at practically every level up the chain. Unfortunately, some patience will be required for the young man Clyde would describe as an “over-zealous neophyte.” There is no good way to learn other than by doing, and Buck’s “back-up quarterback” analogy was just misdirection.
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Certainly unfair to blame Alvarez, given all the (yet again) wasted opportunities earlier on, like bases loaded nobody out.
There was no excuse for Alvarez taking that last at bat. Winning the game was still possible, and Alvarez is simply not ready. (Watch the replay. It was a clown show.)
As the scouts have reportedly said, Alvarez needs time in AAA. He’s up only because of an injury. I hope gets a chance to see some MLB at bats at times that don’t matter and then returns to AAA to get the many at bats he so obviously needs.
Darin Ruf just blasted an RBI double off Kershaw to drive on a run, in his first SF at-bat.
SF now has (at least) 5 beloved ex-Mets:
Wilmer
Conforto
JD Davis
Ruf
Villar
Let’s give Alvarez a chance.
VERY small sample size so far.
And do not discount Escobar’s defense. He catches every hot shot hit over there.
That’s not Jonathan Villar over there.
I’m not blaming that L on the kiddo, but the kiddo is clearly not ready for primetime. Sad thing is, even a payroll north of $300M apparently won’t buy you any depth at catcher. Or a good #2 catcher. I like Nido, he’s a little biter, but his career OPS+ is somewhere between “I hope you didn’t buy Tesla shares off your minimum salary” and “Welcome to Accounting 101 at Brooklyn Community College”. (Or in actual numbers: 58)