Francisco Alvarez/Photo by Allen Greene Photography
MLB Pipeline has rated Mets prospect Francisco Alvarez as the fifth best catching prospect in baseball.
Alvarez, 18, received the largest signing bonus the Mets have given to any international free agent. He would back that up by hitting .312/.407/.510 with 10 doubles, seven homers, and 26 RBI in 42 games between Gulf Coast and Kingsport.
In terms of his bat, not only was Alvarez rated the fifth best catching prospect, he joined Orioles prospect Adley Rutschman as the catching prospects with the best hit tool.
In giving Alvarez’s hitting a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, MLB Pipeline said, “Alvarez also has the makings of becoming a plus hitter.”
In addition to a 60 rating as a hitter, Alvarez’s arm also has a 60 rating. Overall, he’s viewed as a very strong prospect with a 55 rating. This is another way of saying it is expected he will one day be an above average Major League player.
Looking deeper at the rankings, Alvarez is the only teenager listed. It should then come as no surprise he’s the only one who is not expected to play in the majors over the next two years.
The sheer fact Alvarez is included in these rankings speaks to just how gifted a player he is. The fact he is going to play full season minor league ball in 2020 speaks to how good he is at such a young age and just how much Mets fans should be excited for his future.
