The Mack Report (M. Alvarez, F, Alvarez, Hamel, Asencio, Mets Radio, Khalil)

Another Alvarez is back. 

The Mets signed 27-year old RHRP, Manuel Alvarez, to a minor league contract. E was an International free agent that was signed by Cleveland. He played for them from 2018-2022. He joined the Mets mid-season and pitched for both AA-Binghamton (8-apps, 0.93) and AAA-Syracuse (1-app, 13.50). 

Mack - I think this could be a sneaky good move. Start him off in Syracuse and see of he can handle batters at that level. 

 

The Athletic - Keith Law

7. Francisco Álvarez, C, New York Mets

Age: 21 | 5-10 | 233 pounds

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

International signing in 2018

Last year’s ranking: 8

Álvarez is the highest-ranked player from last year’s list who didn’t lose his eligibility through playing too much in the majors in 2022, although he did make his debut at the very end of the season and hit his first homer. 

He had a tremendous start to his year in Double A, hitting .277/.368/.553 with 18 homers in just 67 games for Binghamton, but ran into some bad luck in Triple A — he continued to make consistent, hard contact, but his BABIP dropped 30 points and his strikeout rate rose just a bit to 26 percent, resulting in a .234/.382/.443 line for Syracuse. 

He has a tremendous swing for generating that hard contact, with great balance throughout, excellent hand acceleration, and good use of his lower half to drive the ball. Scouts were more bearish on his defense when he moved to Triple A and had to catch better stuff, although the consensus is still that he can stay there, even just as a bat-first catcher who could stand to clean up some of his blocking and receiving. 

I think he can handle it, even if he’s only a soft 45 on defense, because the bat will make up for any of those deficiencies. Despite the drop in his average in Triple A, his swing and history of hard contact point to stronger batting averages as well as OBPs with 25-30 homer power at his peak.

                                 New York Mets Top 50 Prospects (2023)

https://www.prospects1500.com/nl-east/mets/new-york-mets-top-50-prospects-2023/?s=03 

1. Francisco Alvarez*, C, 21, MLB

MLB’s #1 and Mets #1 catching prospect, Alvarez, got his first taste of the majors in the end of September and even got some at bats in the Mets short lived wild card series. Alvarez has an explosive bat with power to all fields with the catching ability. Always has great ISO numbers along with 58 career minor league homers. 

He has already got the first career major league hit/homer out of the way and fans will see plenty more of Alvarez in Queens this year as he will contend for 2023 Rookie of the Year playing catcher and DH. 

                                    1-25-23 - The Athletic

 Various publications have ranked the 21-year-old Francisco Álvarez as one of baseball’s top five prospects because of his raw power and elite bat speed. However, his defense lags behind. Specifically, the Mets want him to improve his receiving, which is a teachable skill and something the club views as paramount for their catchers. 

Generally speaking, Eppler said he views Triple A as a “very important stepping stone for a player.” The way Eppler sees it, Double A commonly features high-end traits like big velocity. It tests players’ physical tools. Triple A features more experienced players, like pitchers messing with timing by throwing 2-0 changeups. It tests the mental side. 

                                        CBS - 

1. Francisco Álvarez, C, No. 3 on top 20 (2023 seasonal age: 21)

Álvarez reached the majors late last season when the Mets were seeking another capable right-handed bat for their postseason run. He didn't fare well in five regular season games, but ultimately it doesn't matter. Álvarez has big-time raw power and he's improved his defense enough to bet on him sticking at catcher. 

Strikeouts are always going to be part of his game, and he's been pull-heavy in the minors, a combination that may limit his batting average upside. Even if it does, there's more than enough pop-and-walk potential here for him to become an offensive force. 

Mack - Well, if you are the top prospect on a team, there is going be a lot of reporters write about you. Especially if you are wearing the uniform of a New York team. 

 

New York Mets Top 50 Prospects (2023)

https://www.prospects1500.com/nl-east/mets/new-york-mets-top-50-prospects-2023/?s=03 

8. Dominic Hamel, RHP, 23, Single-A

One of my favorite prospects in the organization, Hamel uses his elite spin rate on all pitches to get by hitters. He was named Mets’ organizational pitcher of the year after throwing 119 innings with 145 strikeouts while holding his opponents to a .196 average across both Single-A levels. Hamel is an analytical dream and projects to be a mid rotation starter if the continued development goes as planned. Check out my interview and breakdown with him last spring! 

Mack - Those of you that follow what I have said over the Mets drafting process know how high I was when the Mets drafted  Hamel in the 3^rd round of the 2021 draft. Frankly, I couldn’t believe he was still on the board. Sure, he finished the season that year for Dallas Baptist with a 4.22-ERA, but he went 12-2 and struck out  136  batters in 91.2 innings pitched. 

Last year, for Brooklyn and St. Lucie, he went 10-3 while striking out  145 batters in 119 innings pitched. 

A steal. 

 

1-25-23 - The Athletic

The Mets need a couple more hits from their international efforts. One sleeper from the class is 6-foot-4, 195-pound outfielder Enderson Asencio (Dominican Republic), whose exit velocity, loud bat and power have reminded some scouts of Franmil Reyes. 

Mack - We’ll keep an eye on Asencio when hie debuts for one of the DSL teams. 

 

Keith Raad And Patrick McCarthy Join Howie Rose On NY Mets Radio Team

Inside Radio - It appears the New York Mets have settled on their radio broadcast team as Keith Raad has reportedly been recruited as Wayne Randazzo’s successor to serve as a partner to play-by-play announcer Howie Rose. Additionally, the franchise is expected to announce that Patrick McCarthy, who is the son of former Mets announcer Tom McCarthy, will serve as pregame and postgame host for games carried on Audacy news WCBS-AM (880). 

Raad has been serving as the main announcer for the Brooklyn Cyclones, who are a Single-A minor league affiliate of the Mets. McCarthy has been announcing games for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, which are a Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. In addition to hosting the pregame and postgame shows, McCarthy will reportedly serve as a fill-in play-by-play announcer when Rose is off. His father Tom served as a play-by-play announcer for the Mets from 2006-2007 and is currently the Philadelphia Phillies TV play-by-play announcer. The younger McCarthy filled in for his dad for a pair of Phillies games last season, while the elder was covering preseason football games. 

Mack - Good news but it is Keith we are waiting for. 

 

^{Mets outfielder Khalil Lee accused of assault and verbal abuse by ex-girlfriend}

^{https://theathletic.com/4147323/2023/02/01/khalil-lee-mets-assault/?source=user-shared-article} 

^{Mack - I’ve got nothing to say here  other than the fact that I am sick and tired of reading about male athletes beating up their wives or girlfriends.}