The Mets believe Francisco Alvarez is built for this moment.
Still just 22, the second-year catcher is rising to the occasion during his first playoff push as an everyday starter.
His three-RBI performance in Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Phillies proved crucial for the Mets, but it came as no surprise to teammate Brandon Nimmo, who said Alvaraz relishes hitting in pressure situations.
“He’s almost foaming at the mouth to get up there,” Nimmo said. “It’s unbelievable. He wants it. The way that he walks around the batter’s box, the mannerisms, the body language when he’s up there … just tells me he wants that moment and he can take it head on. I love that about him.”
The big afternoon gave Alvarez five home runs and 13 RBI over his last nine games, helping the Mets’ lineup stay afloat as star shortstop Francisco Lindor misses time with lower-back discomfort.
Alvarez began Sunday with a .267 average, a .365 on-base percentage, a .622 slugging percentage and a .988 OPS through 16 games this month.
The September surge comes during the stretch run of a roller-coaster season for Alvarez, who did not hit above .200 in either of the previous two months.
Alvarez missed nearly two months between mid-April and mid-June after requiring surgery for a torn ligament in his left thumb. After slugging 25 home runs as a rookie, Alvarez hit only six through his first 85 games this year.
“He’s been working really hard behind the scenes for months, and finally it’s paying off,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday.
“This is a guy that, when it was really hard for him, he was the first guy on the field. Whether it was at home or on road trips, [he was] hitting on the field, hitting in the cages, watching film, talking to coaches, so I don’t think this is an overnight thing, but it’s fun. It’s special. It’s gratifying that we’re seeing results now in a big way, in a huge moment for us.”
Alvarez struck a second-inning solo home run that got the Mets on the board Saturday and a two-run double in the seventh inning that helped them extend their lead. With the win, the Mets maintained a two-game advantage over the Braves for the third and final National League Wild Card position.
The righty-hitting Alvarez credits his turnaround to working on his swing, which he said included an emphasis on keeping his hips closed longer and on his discipline at the plate.
“I feel very good,” Alvarez said after Saturday’s victory. “I feel more powerful. I really feel like last year, when I was doing good, I was kind of feeling the same.”
Alvarez has been similarly essential behind the plate as the Mets’ primary catcher. Since Alvarez came off of the injured list on June 11, the Mets boast a 3.71 ERA as a team — the third-best mark in the National League.
“He’s a dog back there,” said Sean Manaea, who hurled seven-plus innings of three-run ball in Saturday’s win. “He puts in the work behind the scenes to know lineups and what pitches to throw. I see him put in the work every day.”
Alvarez has started at least four games in every slot in the batting order except for leadoff or second, though he’s mostly batted lower in the lineup of late.
He entered Sunday with 91 plate appearances in the No. 7 spot — where he hit Saturday — and 91 more in the No. 8 spot. He had no more than 42 plate appearances in any spot in the order.
“When you get that kind of production from the bottom of your lineup, that wins ball games,” Nimmo said.
“It lengthens your lineup. It just makes it that much tougher to get through.”
