Francisco Alvarez blocks out frustration, commits to new path: ‘Baseball never stops'

New York Times

08-07-2025

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Sitting in the Syracuse Mets' dugout before a game late Tuesday afternoon, Francisco Alvarez extended his arms and leaned them against the bench, making his frame appear almost as wide as his smile. He still has that huge grin, even when the topic of conversation turns to his level of confidence after a demotion to Triple A.
Advertisement
Alvarez's conviction took a hit, but the guy with a throat tattoo that reads 'The Best' still believes in himself.
'My confidence is not low right now, but I am not going to tell you that it's very high, too,' Alvarez, 23, said. 'My confidence is always there. It's a part of my game, and it's a part of my mindset. So, for me, it is always there, but it's not 100 percent. But we can say it is at 90 percent right now.'
Then Alvarez laughed. He was in good spirits. He had just spent several minutes working on his swing with Syracuse bench coach J.P. Arencibia, socking balls all over the field. That's one of his major tasks: improve at the plate. The other is equally important: improve behind it.
Francisco Alvarez with the opposite-field power to put us on top! 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/n98Q7KuxQ4
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 5, 2025
On June 22, the Mets sent Alvarez down to the minors for the first time since spring 2023. In 138 plate appearances this season before the demotion, he slashed just .236/.319/.333 with three home runs. Defensively, his framing ranked in the bottom 9 percent of MLB, according to Baseball Savant.
Indeed, there is plenty for Alvarez to work on. He grasps that. During a 15-minute conversation, he kept referring to wanting to improve on both offense and defense. He never questioned or complained about the decision.
'Baseball never stops,' Alvarez said. 'If I stop and think about why I am down here and start to feel angry or sad or frustrated, I'm losing time. And I don't have that much time to lose. I don't have time to think about all of that. I just have to keep working, keep doing my thing, and that's it.'
Still, when Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns talked to him in Philadelphia about going down to the minor leagues, Alvarez felt surprised.
Advertisement
'In the moment, I was never thinking that was going to happen,' Alvarez said. 'I knew I had to get better and improve on a lot of things. But I didn't know that was going to happen. So it was a very tough experience in that moment.
'I was feeling bad because I thought I was doing bad. My framing wasn't there, my hitting wasn't there. But it was not my expectation that they would send me down. But that's what happened.
'And I feel that maybe that is what can be the best for me. Right now, I feel like it has helped. It has helped my mind. It has helped my ability to play baseball. To come here every day and practice, I think, is very good.'
Alvarez earns strong reviews from Syracuse coaches and teammates.
'He's a smart guy who knows the game and gets you going if you need that extra kick in the butt,' Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat said. 'He's been great.'
Mets reliever Brooks Raley, who joined Syracuse last week as the next part of his rehab assignment, said Alvarez gave him a huge hug upon seeing him 'with a big smile on his face.' Raley added, 'All I've seen him do is work his tail off.'
Arencibia, who is among the coaches and coordinators working with Alvarez on both catching and hitting, offered a similar take.
'Honestly, he's been unbelievable,' Arencibia said. 'He comes in, he wants to see video, he wants to go over stuff. He's much more open. Sometimes, going to Triple A, people may think it's a wake-up call. (But) I think sometimes it's more of an opportunity to take a breath.'
As a 21-year-old rookie in 2023, Alvarez hit 25 home runs. The power might still be there. He hasn't displayed much of any since then, though.
After Alvarez struggled last season, he decided to overhaul his swing in the winter. He wanted to cover more of the plate and use the entire field. A hamate fracture in spring training derailed Alvarez's opportunity to work through those changes at a time when the games didn't mean anything. Some of the changes Alvarez made were good while others needed to be re-evaluated, Mets hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said.
Advertisement
'He's been up here and he's had some success. In '23, he hit more than 20 homers,' Barnes said. 'So we are trying to pay attention to that and find the happy middle.'
While in Triple A, Alvarez said that he has tried to blend his old swing from a couple of years ago with what he learned over the winter. In 10 games (38 plate appearances) with Syracuse heading into Tuesday, he is 8-for-34 (.235 batting average) with four home runs.
'I feel strong,' Alvarez said, 'and feel like I could do damage.'
To Arencibia, Alvarez's swing and setup resemble the player who showcased power as a rookie. Along with the home runs that season, Alvarez hit just .209 with a .284 on-base percentage — poor figures. From Arencibia's perspective, though, Alvarez could've just built slowly on the foundation he already had. He still can.
'This guy's God-given ability is to hit the ball as hard as anybody,' Arencibia said. 'If you look at (Alvarez's) '23, I'd give my dang right arm for that. You grow from what that was. I think he went a different way. I think by trying to be this guy, he wasn't … it's like any of us, we are the best version of ourselves when we are fully authentic. That's what he's getting back to.'
Recently, Alvarez joked around with Arencibia, telling him, 'I'm trying to find that Alvy of '22, '23.'
Arencibia told him, 'You're the same guy. We just gotta do some things to get you back there.'
Alvarez's defense is a similar story. His metrics for framing are bad, but they used to be superb. He ranked in the top 12 percent for framing just last year, according to Baseball Savant.
Alvarez said he is trying to get in a better position behind the plate. That means having a stronger base. Alvarez still has one knee down, but he is now keeping his toe planted in the ground. That boosts his balance and helps him create force, Arencibia said.
Advertisement
'Everything comes from the position of feeling strong,' Alvarez said. 'Right now, I feel like everything has gotten better.'
Alvarez has a point. In the 10 days Alvarez has spent in Triple A, his framing ranks in the 100th percentile, which means he is top of the class.
'Receiving wise, Alvy is a Ferrari,' Arencibia said. 'Ferrari is still a Ferrari, but if the tires are flat, it's not going to drive as good. But you fill up the tires, and it drives good again. His tires were a little flat when it came to his positioning. Once he got that feeling again, which was a simple adjustment, I knew a Ferrari would drive like a Ferrari again. He didn't lose his hands; his hands are lightning-fast.'
Multiple times, Alvarez expressed gratitude for his time in Triple A. Mets officials say they still believe in him. They like the progress he has made. Still, it's unknown when Alvarez may return to the majors.
Though he obviously wants to rejoin the Mets, he said he isn't stressing out over the timing. In addition to the tattoo on his throat, there's another one near his right ear that gets less attention. He got them both around the same time, a couple of years ago. It seems appropriate for his current situation and how he is navigating it. The tattoo reads, 'Grateful.'
'My goal right now is to be a better player — a better catcher, a better hitter,' Alvarez said. 'Whenever I go back up there, I am just going to compete every day.'
(Photo of Francisco Alvarez: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)