ATLANTA — There are plenty of culprits in a Mets offense who fell silent when they needed to be loud. Francisco Lindor went 2 for 13 with five strikeouts in the series. Mark Canha struggled to a 2-for-11 line. In James McCann’s only start, he showed no life in a 0-for-3 Sunday night.
But no at-bats this weekend have been more closely watched than the first eight in the career of Francisco Alvarez, who was called into the heat of a pennant race as the Mets’ potential savior of 20. year.
Baseball’s best prospect couldn’t save them. He’s still looking for his first hit after a 5-3 loss at Truist Park ended a devastating three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves.
When calling the DH/receiver, manager Buck Showalter and general manager Billy Eppler said Alvarez would be discouraged from trying to play hero ball, attempting to announce himself with a shot from 500ft . In his eight at-bats, Alvarez has swung on the first pitch.
Showalter pointed out that many were strikes, but acknowledged Alvarez’s struggles.
“It’s part of a young player going through this,” Showalter said of Alvarez, who was called up as a DH right-hander on Friday when Darin Ruf was placed on the injured list. “It’s hard because with [Starling] Marte and even [Brett] Baty out and some people, it kind of pushes him out there.
The Mets saw Alvarez, who posted an .885 OPS in 112 games between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, as the organization’s next logical right-handed stick. In his first occasions, he showed his youth more than his potential.
On Sunday, Alvarez pinch left-handed hitter Daniel Vogelbach in the fifth inning because the Braves brought in left-hander Dylan Lee. In what was probably his best at bat, Alvarez fought back from an 0-2 count and worked the full count, but he swung a slider on the eighth pitch he saw for his third out at career stick.
In the seventh inning, Alvarez, against right-hander Raisel Iglesias, jumped on a lead from the first pitch and retired.
“I saw a young boy who wanted to do something special for the team and for himself,” Lindor said of Alvarez, whom the Mets declined to release to the media after the game. . “I never played with him. Maybe that’s his approach. Maybe that’s how he attacks pitchers.
All series, Alvarez received a constant dose of off-speed and breaking throws – seven of the eight he saw from Lee were sliders. He will have to earn his way to the fastballs.
Tons of minor league stars are vying for their first taste of the majors. Few, however, are thrust into the spotlight and called up for the club’s three biggest games of the season. The Mets could have given Mark Vientos a longer look but were too intrigued by Alvarez’s promise. Vientos had two at bats in the series, knocking out Friday and hitting in the eighth inning Sunday.
The Mets scored a total of seven runs in the three losses, and the young slugger wasn’t to blame for the sweep. But neither was he the rare phenomenon that immediately excelled.
“He will learn from it and improve,” Showalter said. “He’s going to be a good player.”