Francisco Alvarez sits for Mets’ season finale

Alvarez doubled to lead-off the third inning and came around to score the first run of the game. Then in the sixth inning, his two-run double put the Mets ahead 4-3. Alvarez has five RBI over his last three games. He’s hitting .234 with a .718 OPS and 42 RBI this season.

Alvarez led off the third inning with a base hit, then gave the Mets the lead with a three-run blast off Andrew Painter in the fifth inning. The 24-year-old catcher is hitting .229/.310/.398 with 16 homers and 40 RBI across 399 plate appearances.

If people wanted to see some real scoring on Wednesday night, they should’ve tuned into Mets vs. Marlins rather than the opening game of the NFL season. Regardless, the Mets pulled out this 15-14 thriller with a huge boost from the bottom of their lineup. Torrens drove in four runs from the ninth spot, Christopher Morel three after coming in for the injured Brett Baty who plated one of his own hitting eighth, and A.J. Ewing with two RBI from the seven-hole. That’s a whopping 10 RBI from the bottom third of their lineup. Otherwise, Torrens raised his OPS to .701 with another strong game as he has put together a truly phenomenal second half. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .296/.359/.592 – that’s a .951 OPS – with six home runs and 19 RBI in 24 games as the Mets’ part-time catcher

Alvarez needed a game like this as he’s been mired in a dreadful slump. He’d gone nearly a month without a home run before these two and had just four since the All-Star break with a paltry .187 batting average and strikeout rate that was approaching 40%. He could really use a strong end of the season to build some positive momentum heading into 2027.

It’s a fourth straight hitless game for Alvarez. He still has a decent .233/.325/.408 line for the season, but that he’s been so bad with men on base has him batting ninth right now. He’s driven in a total of 17 baserunners (30 RBI minus 13 homers) in 334 plate appearances this season.

Alvarez’s homer was a solo shot in the fifth that put New York up 10-1, one of 15 hits the team registered in Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old backstop is up to 13 homers but has just 29 RBI and 29 runs scored. He only has three career stolen bases, so his 5x5 fantasy value is tied exclusively to home runs, when he’s healthy enough to play. That said, he has career bests in walk rate and expected wOBA so far this season.

Offense is a bonus from Torrens, but he came up big tonight with his three hard-hit balls and his third homer in 207 plate appearances. It was his first three-hit or four-RBI game of the season. He’d driven in four just five times previously: three times in 2021, once in 2022 and once last year.

A few teams, including the White Sox, have been circling Torrens to improve their catching situation, but the Mets don’t appear willing to “indulge” those interests, according to Heyman. The Mets view Torrens as one of the best defensive catchers in the sport and have him under contract for just $4.75 million next season. Considering the Mets are not considering adopting any kind of rebuild, even as they are clear sellers at this year’s deadline, it would make some sense to keep Torrens around if they believe he’s a crucial part of a team they hope will compete for a World Series in 2027.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Mets were willing to listen to offers for most of their players, but it would be surprising if they dealt Alvarez. The catcher is just 24 years old and is hitting .260/.332/.449 in 70 games this season with 12 home runs. Injuries have been a major problem for him in his career, but the Mets will likely hold onto him and deal away a veteran like Torrens. Bowden mentioned that the White Sox, who just lost Kyle Teel, have been linked to Torrens.

With the trade deadline approaching and Alvarez’s name sneaking into some rumors, he just keeps on hitting. His home run was his 12th of the season and third in his last five games. Over his last 30 games, he has a .274/.336/.491 slash line and remains one of the better power-hitting catchers in the league as long as he can stay healthy.