There’s no denying Mets I have a different feeling for them when they are young Francisco Álvarez is in the starting lineup.
Whether it’s his high-energy play, his infectious smile, his tower-of-light power or his defense, the young defenseman brings a whole new element to this group when he’s around.
We saw it when he made his major league debut last season, and we’ve seen it again in recent days as the Mets have gotten really hot since he returned from the injured list.
With Tuesday’s thrilling victory over the Texas Rangers, New York not only extended its winning streak to a season-high seven games, but also improved to an incredible 17-1 in its last 18 games with Alvarez in the lineup.
“It’s always good to have you back,” Pedro Alonso he said. “We definitely miss him. He’s one of those guys who’s a workhorse and super talented. He can change the game with his bat and does a great job behind the plate in all aspects of the game.”
“Is it different when he’s there? Clear,” Brandon Nimmo added. “He’s a great competitor and an incredible player, both defensively as a receiver and offensively. He loves competing and wants big situations.”
One of those big situations happened when the young slugger stepped onto the plate facing his former teammate David Robertson with the tying run at the plate in the top of the eighth on Tuesday.
Alvarez was horribly fooled by a breaking ball on the first pitch, but after hanging in there and taking the full countdown, he hit a game-tying two-run double into the left-center gap to make it a whole new ball game.
“That was huge,” said Alonso, who later scored the winning blow. “That was a big hit, so fight to a 3-2 count and then line up an absolute laser to left center. It was a really special hit and it really helped us, so it was a big moment.
“We won’t even be in this situation if he doesn’t pass,” added Nimmo, who launched his second home run in as many days. “He is unbelievable, he loves and wants these situations. That kind of player is hard to find, so I think he’s the best and I love him.”
This marked Alvarez’s first extra-base hit since returning from injury, but he is settling into a good rhythm at the plate, increasing his average to .269 after stringing together back-to-back three-hit games.
While he told SNY’s Steve Gelbs that he’s happy with how he’s been swinging the bat lately, he added that he’d like to explore his power a little more.
Alvarez will look to do just that in the series finale against the Rangers on Wednesday or when the Mets open a three-game weekend with the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
