Mets’ Francisco Alvarez Eyes Offensive Revival for 2025 with Soto’s Mentorship
The young catcher had major trouble with breaking pitches last season, hitting just .159 while swinging and missing on over a third of his attempts. At the Mets fanfest celebration, he told MLB.com, “I have changed a lot of things.”
His numbers dropped significantly from 2023 when he hit 25 home runs in 123 games. A lingering thumb injury hurt his power, dropping his OPS to .710 in a shorter season.
Working with hitting coach Eric Chavez, he’s fixing his approach. The addition of Juan Soto brings new perspective and proven experience to help improve his pitch recognition.
Catching legend Mike Piazza emphasized the importance of waiting for good pitches in big moments. The Mets great stressed how crucial pitch selection is against elite pitchers.
Breaking balls, especially sliders, were his biggest weakness. Pitchers kept throwing them his way, using them more than 25% of the time. While he did well against fastballs and changeups, the breaking pitches gave him fits.
His defense was impressive though, ranking ninth in pitch framing. This big difference between his catching skills and hitting struggles creates a tough situation for the team’s plans.
With scoring hard to come by, the Mets really need his bat to come alive. A good comeback year could turn their offense from weak to dangerous in 2025.