Francisco Alvarez hit a shot that left the bat at 108.6 mph Friday night for a single against Max Fried, a celebratory moment in what has largely been an adjustment period for the Mets’ top prospect.
Fried, the Braves ace, is exactly the kind of competition a batter doesn’t get to face at Triple-A, with the exception of a pitcher on a minor-league rehab assignment.
Alvarez, on this rainy night that was shortened to five innings, delivered the Mets’ second-hardest-hit ball.
“He hit an absolute bullet,” Mets hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said. “For a 21-year-old kid that is fantastic.”
These are the teaching moments from which the Mets are attempting to build with Alvarez, who after an anemic start following his recall from Triple-A Syracuse on April 7 had a five-game stretch last week in which he went 4-for-13 (.308) at the plate that included his first homer this season.
Alvarez, who has shared catching duties with Tomas Nido as Omar Narvaez sits on the injured list with a calf strain that will keep him sidelined into June, has been thrust into a prominent role, with a chance to show he belongs.
He will bring a .194/.216/.278 slash line into Monday’s scheduled doubleheader against the Braves at Citi Field, which follows two straight postponements.
“I see a young guy that has dominated the minor leagues and the big leagues is just different,” Barnes said. “It’s logical to think the big leagues is twice as hard as Triple-A, but it’s not: It’s probably more like 10 times harder. So there’s an adjustment that just needs to happen and these young guys, he is going through it.
“They are pitching him very differently than he got pitched in Triple-A. He’s learning. He is 21 years old and I think so much of it is that he’s such a special talent and the narrative is he’s going to come up and be our 4-hole hitter and hit 40 [homers] this year, but that doesn’t always happen, and the season is still young.”
In emphasizing the season’s length, Barnes pointed to Julio Rodriguez, who last year concluded April with a .205/.284/.260 slash line with the Mariners. Rodriguez finished as the American League’s Rookie of the Year.
“We could be having this conversation in September and this kid could be having special numbers,” Barnes said. “It’s a long season and I think the biggest thing we’re getting to see right now is New York is getting to watch a young, talented player learn and grow.”
In his successful at-bat against Fried on Friday, the rookie twice took offspeed pitches that were outside the strike zone before jumping on a fastball.
It’s that kind of plate discipline the Mets expect will bring Alvarez the desired results.
Barnes said one of his early discussions with Alvarez this season was the importance of recognizing that even though he’s hitting down in the batting order he won’t be fed fastballs.
“It is pretty clear that he has a reputation already,” Barnes said. “People aren’t just going to say, ‘Hey, you’re young, we’re just going to throw you fastballs over the plate and see if you can hit it.’ It’s just not how the game is anymore. People are pitching to his weaknesses and he’s getting exposed to those things and things that probably never came to light with the competition in the minor leagues are coming to light a little bit.”
Barnes, who was elevated to hitting coach over the winter after serving in the assistant’s role last season, is preaching the same patience for a lineup that has averaged 4.52 runs, which ranks 16th overall in MLB.
“My goal this year is I want to be better in September than we are in April,” Barnes said. “I want us to build. I don’t want us to come out on fire and then putter. There’s going to be ups and downs and our work is going to dictate how things go in the long run. If we are working on the right things and have our heads in the right spot, we have a very talented team, and I expect guys that are not having the numbers they want right now to return back to their normal.”
