Francisco Alvarez’s 2026 season for the Mets was a tough one, ending with just as many questions as it started, especially after his OPS plummeted to a brutal .579 following the trade deadline. Fans had so much hope for a breakout year for Alvy, hoping he’d stay healthy, keep that 2025 offensive momentum going, and finally show those defensive improvements we’ve all been waiting for. Unfortunately, 2026 did not deliver like anyone wanted, for Alvarez or for the team.
A Wild Ride: From Opening Day Heroics to the IL and Back
Man, Alvy kicked off the season like a rocket! He was part of history, making MLB’s first successful ABS challenge, and then went deep for his first home run right there on Opening Day. Things were absolutely buzzing, looked like this was going to be *his* year. Then, boom. May 12, he tears his right meniscus during a plate appearance, and we’re told he’s out for six to eight weeks. Talk about a gut punch. But true to form, the guy’s a quick healer. He defied expectations and was back in less than four weeks, returning on June 9. Given how many injuries were hitting the team, Alvarez ended up spending way more time at designated hitter than anyone expected when the season began, which definitely changed his role.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Mixed Bag at the Plate
Offensively, it was a real head-scratcher for Alvarez. Yeah, he had that hot start, but then some of those old issues crept right back in. He struggled big time with pitch identification this year. The guy took too many pitches in the zone that he absolutely should have crushed, and he whiffed on more pitches outside the zone than the team average. His chase rate, at least, stayed right around what the rest of the team was doing. The biggest alarm bells started ringing after the trade deadline, though. His strikeout rate jumped from 26.4% before the deadline to a staggering 39.4% afterwards. And that OPS? It dropped from a respectable .777 pre-deadline to that painful .579. He finished the year hitting .233/.311/.399 with a wRC+ of 99. Not exactly what we were dreaming of.
Behind the Dish: Defensive Struggles Continue
Defense was another area where Alvarez just couldn’t quite put it all together this year. He split his time catching with Luis Torrens, starting 82 games behind the dish and playing 88 total at the position. His DRS came in at a -5, which is -6.9 per 1000 innings. His FRV was also negative at -2 (-2.8 per 1000 innings) over 720.0 innings. He was slightly above average in framing runs, at 2.2, which is something. But his catcher’s ERA was 4.54, which is not what you want to see. It didn’t help that he was constantly compared to Torrens, who is legitimately one of the best defensive catchers in the entire game. Overall, his fWAR clocked in at 1.4 for the season.
At the end of it all, it feels like we’re still asking the same questions. He’s only 24 years old, which is a fair point, and he’s got four full seasons in the majors under his belt. Who knows, maybe next year is finally the year Alvy puts it all together and we get some answers. We’re gonna need him to make some serious strides.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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