Heading into their most important series of the year, the Mets plan to promote top prospect Francisco Álvarez per multiple reports.
Álvarez, 20, is currently listed as the No. 1 prospect in baseball according to MLB pipeline.
Per Joel Sherman, the plan is for Álvarez to get designated hitter at-bats against lefties. The first pitcher the Mets are scheduled to face on Friday is lefty Max Fried.
Álvarez began the season with the Mets Double-A affiliate Binghamton and crushed his way through 67 games at the level. He hit 19 home runs with a slash line of .277/.368/.553, earning a promotion to Triple-A.
Álvarez hasn’t put up the same total numbers in 45 games at the minors’ highest level (nine home runs and a slash line of .234/.382/.443) but fans have been clamoring for the call-up of a prospect described as “generational.”
Recently for Triple-A Syracuse, Álvarez has found his groove. In September he has a 1.079 OPS. He reached base in his last 12 games.
Álvarez is the third of the Mets top prospects to earn a promotion this month, following the additions of Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to the major league roster. Álvarez is not on the 40-man roster and a corresponding move will have to be made for his activation.
New York has a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves this weekend. The Mets have a one-game lead in the National League East and are all in on maintaining that when the weekend ends.