The New York Mets are calling up top prospect Francisco Alvarez for this weekend’s pivotal three-game series against the Atlanta Braves, according to multiple reports Thursday.
Alvarez, a 20-year-old catcher, was ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in ESPN’s midseason list published in August.
Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2018, Alvarez has had a meteoric rise through the Mets’ minor league system over the past two years. He slashed .260/.374/.511 with 27 home runs this season while splitting time between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
While he missed three weeks in August with a right ankle injury, he finished the minor league season by hitting .371 with a 1.107 OPS and three home runs in his final 35 at bats for Syracuse.
A right-handed hitter, Alvarez could help the Mets at DH, especially against left-handers, against whom he hit .315 with a 1.019 OPS this season.
New York has received little production from right-handed hitters Darin Ruf and rookie Mark Vientos at DH since sending J.D. Davis to San Francisco at the Aug. 2 trade deadline. Left-handed hitter Daniel Vogelbach is New York’s regular DH against right-handers.
The Mets enter Friday night’s series opener in Atlanta clinging to a one-game lead over the Braves in the NL East. The division winner earns a first-round bye, while the second-place finisher will be the top NL wild card and host a best-of-three postseason series starting Oct. 7.
El Extrabase was first to report that Alvarez is getting called up.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.