A rising star for the New York Mets unexpectedly found himself in the public eye on Sunday. And not for all the positive reasons. That Mets star has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, even after blasting off a 452-foot homer in the ninth inning in the 11-4 win against the Phillies. While NYM snapped out of a seven-game losing streak, unfortunately, in the wake of his offensive and defensive inconsistencies, the hammer eventually hit the righty.
Francisco Alvarez spent his four seasons with the Mets with 40 home runs, 122 RBIs, and a .223 average. However, multiple hand and wrist injuries took a toll on his performance. He regressed quickly, and so far this season, Alvarez has slashed .236/.319/.333. Now, following his demotion, manager Carlos Mendoza made a surprising revelation about the actual reason.
“The consistency. There were stretches where we felt—I felt—like a couple of games where, OK, that’s what it’s supposed to look like. But then he’ll go a couple of games where he’s late with the fastball, and then he chases, so just looking for consistency here,” manager Mendoza pointed out. Clearly, the skipper wasn’t pleased with his inconsistent fastball chasing and delay.
Even sharing the games with Luis Torrens wasn’t beneficial to him either. Alvarez remained absent for 3 to 4 games every week, compared to playing six games a week. He went 2-for-5 on Saturday.
Reflecting on this, Carlos Mendoza further added, “We decided it was best for him to go down to Triple-A, play every day, and work on—whether it’s the offense, defense, or just in general. There’s a lot of potential there, and when he’s playing up to his potential, he’s got a chance to be a pretty special player.”
Notably, Francisco Álvarez didn’t play for the Mets until late April after undergoing surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand.
But ever since he got back, his defense has struggled as much as his offense. Given that he has only managed six extra-base hits this season and that he struggles to block pitches, which resulted in a run on Saturday, Mendoza believes that the demotion is likely the best move.
The manager, though, remains optimistic that Alvarez will soon overcome this setback, getting some reps and turning the tide back in his favor.
Meanwhile, the Mets have already called in their next catcher. Guess who?
The Mets call back a young prospect from the Triple-A
Hayden Senger was called up to the majors ahead of the Sunday night finale against the Phillies. The 28-year-old was brought in as a backup to Luís Torrens, who replaced Francisco Alvarez after he was optioned.
This right-handed catcher made his MLB debut on March 27. He averaged just .179 in the 13 games he played, going 5 for 28. After due deliberations, the decision was made.
It was actually challenging for Alvarez because Luis Torrens played most of the time until getting optioned. The same happened with Senger, who was also optioned to the Triple-A on June 12. Now that he is back, Hayden Senger will look to utilize the opportunity fully. In fact, he may intend to establish a permanent position in the roster.
Even though Senger is undoubtedly a top defensive catcher, he also has some weaknesses. His offensive production is limited, and his quality of contact is even worse. Senger’s stats say a lot—0.283 xwOBA, 5.3 Barrel%, and 36.8 Hard-Hit%. Even with minimal speed, he is excellent in blocking, controlling, and framing.
The Mets front office must now evaluate Senger’s strong defensive output in addition to his subpar offensive output. And for that, we need to wait for a few more. But meanwhile, do you believe the Mets made the right move in bringing back Senger and demoting Alvarez?
The post Carlos Mendoza Reveals Real Reason Behind Rising Star’s Demotion Despite Blasting a Home Run appeared first on EssentiallySports.
