Tom Brennan - The Adjustment of Francisco Alvarez; And Other Great Can't Miss Stuff

YOUNG AND HUNGRY

Lest we forget, Francisco Alvarez was ranked baseball’s # 1 prospect by some rankers.

Yet many seemingly felt he was locked in a Kodak moment in fall 2022. 

When he didn’t look ready. Even though the timing of his promo was terrible.

And like he worked on nothing this off season.

Heck, reasoned some, he might need all of 2023 in AAA to work out the kinks.

He started out 1 for 12 thru his first few games, with lots of stolen bases allowed.

“HE IS NOT READY!”, they screamed.

But with Tomas Nido’s batting average being about the same as Twiggy’s weight, at .118, and no other viable alternative in the minors (unless you feel that a catcher who got called up and hit .050 was viable - after all, AAA Michael Perez is hitting .170 and Nick Meyer is hitting .150), no alternative.

Thus, Alvarez was just going to have to show he could at least be Tomas’ caddy until Omar Narvaez returns (is Omar really a Met? I missed a few games and never saw him in a Mets uniform).

So, since the early 1 for 12, Francisco Alvarez thru Sunday was 10 for 38 (.263), a solid pace and one which most other Mets, other than Nimmo, Baty, McNeil, and Vogelbach, have not recently achieved.

Just look at the list of others who are sputtering for the season thru Sun.:

Canha: .222

Pham: .220

Lindor: .217

Marte: .213

Escobar: .159

Nido: .118

None have hit as well as Alvarez’s .263 pace over the same recent Alvarez stabilization period.

Nor have Pete Alonso and Luis Guillorme hit as well over the same stretch - both sit at .235 for the season - keep in mind that Alvarez would be sitting at .240 if he had one more hit.

So, Baty is at .286 and Alvarez has righted his ship.  

The Kids Are All Right. 

WHO will dispute me on that? “Who Are You?” asks Roger Daltry.

That success from the young duo in my mind now opens a promotion door for sizzling Mark Vientos, who hit his 10th HR in 112 ABs not a fluke: he hit 21 HRs in his last 200 ABs in 2021). Mark added a double, boosting his OPS to an insanely high 1.120 (Escobar at half that, at .571). 

Mark is simply killing lefties, and righties. 

Thermometer has popped, ready is he.

When a kid like Vientos sees two of his peers succeeding, I believe that has to lower the pressure. Bring him up. Once he succeeds, and he will, bring up the almost-as-sizzling Ronny Mauricio when the time is right over the next several weeks. (More on that below).

The old and wretched are not getting it done. Adjust.

When the team’s pitching sucks, it helps to not have a sputtering offense at the same time, or you find yourself in a season-crushing 3-11 stretch (2-9 of which was against weak teams). Kids can infuse energy.

Just do it.  Of course, then there is this:

CALLING UP - MAURICIO??

Saw a rumor posted that Ronny Mauricio and not Mark Vientos could be the next call up.  We'll see.  Maybe both?  That would really shake things up, but I cannot see both at the same time.

RANKINGS THAT RANKLE:

Baseball America (I am not a subscriber, as I like to think for myself) apparently just updated its top 100 in baseball.  Mauricio is apparently # 99 - seems very conservative.  Vientos apparently is not in the top 100.  

How that is possible, I cannot discern. After all, Mark is averaging a HR every 11 ABs (Ruthian) and has an unconscious 1.120 OBP.  Knowing their lack of defensive wizardry so far, and not knowing prospects on other teams all that much, I nonetheless cannot fathom how they are both not top 50.

At least, though, 7 Mets prospects are in the top 100, even though those include Alvarez, Baty, and Senga, all of whom are currently big leaguers, though, and none of whom are going anywhere, though.  Though I thought you already knew that - though.

Khalil Lee-less?

Khalil Lee was released by Syracuse.  

He lost his mojo and had to go-go.

Personal problems I imagine contributed.  But he is a puzzler.  He had a terrific .451 OBP in 2021 in Syracuse.  Nimmo type stuff.  Yet, the next two seasons, he hit around .210 with an OBP almost 100 points lower.  And fanned 167 times in 129 games.  Maybe this, maybe that, but no "maybe" about the fact that he's gone.

I guess there is always the Long Island Ducks as a possibility, suggests one Quack.

PERSPECTIVE!!

As Mets fans grope for answers, if someone told you on Feb 1 that after nearly a quarter of 2023, you‘d get just 41 innings out of Max, JV, Carrasco, Quintana, and Diaz, they’d give up 29 runs with no saves, and Narváez played just a few games, would you be shocked they'd have a 17-18 record? Not so shocking in that light.

Speaking of Scherzer, I saw this in the NY Post, which has to make one very nervous going forward:

When Scherzer takes the mound on Tuesday in Cincinnati....he’ll be doing so while still pitching with discomfort below his right scapula, around his shoulder blade.  “I’m doing everything I can to get through this without having it linger through the rest of the season,’’ Scherzer said before the team left for the road trip. “I’m in a good spot… I’m not going backward [with the injury], I’m moving forward. That’s the good part.”