Francisco Alvarez Fantasy Stats

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, hitting .268/.379/.500 with four home runs, five RBI, and eight runs scored across his first 68 plate appearances. The 24-year-old has always logged strong batted-ball metrics, and he's currently posting an excellent 17.4% barrel rate. Perhaps most encouragingly, Alvarez has shown significant improvement in his plate skills early in the year. He's cut his strikeout rate to 17.6%, down from 26.4% in 2025. Health has been an issue for Alvarez in recent seasons, as he has not reached 400 plate appearances since 2023. However, if he can stay on the field, Alvarez could be on the verge of a breakout campaign. In leagues where he is not already rostered, Alvarez profiles as a high-upside catcher to target on the waiver wire.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has emerged as a key offensive contributor early in the 2026 season, slashing .300/.391/.625 with a 1.016 OPS and four home runs. The fifth-year backstop is showing clear growth at the plate. His improved barrel rate and consistent hard contact point to a more refined approach. Alvarez produced a .256/.339/.447 slash line in 76 games last season, but this start suggests a meaningful step forward. If this level of production holds, Alvarez has the profile to establish himself as one of the more impactful offensive catchers in the league.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez will head to the bench ahead of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This appears to be a routine rest day for Alvarez, who has started in both games to begin the season. So far this season, Alvarez is 2-for-6 with one home run, one RBI, and one walk. Luis Torrens will take over behind the plate and bat ninth versus right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski on Sunday. Torrens doesn't offer enough upside to warrant streaming, but Alvarez has mixed league value at the moment.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (back) is in the starting lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against the Washington Nationals, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez exited early on Thursday, and he was kept out of the lineup entirely on Friday. While Mets fans and fantasy managers initially held their breath given Alvarez's injury history, it turns out that the catcher was just dealing with back tightness, and the team wasn't too worried about his status going forward. Indeed, he's already back in action after missing less than two days. Alvarez will look to pick up where he left off last year, when he slashed .256/.339/.447 with 11 home runs and 124 wRC+. He projects as the Mets' everyday catcher, batting ninth.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (back) is feeling "better" after exiting Thursday's spring training contest with back tightness, manager Carlos Mendoza told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday if he's still feeling good at that point. All in all, it appears the Mets avoided any serious injury news with their primary backstop. He dealt with four different injuries in 2025 alone, so New York's brass and fanbase will be glad to hear that this latest ailment isn't too concerning. Having Alvarez available is key for the Mets, both at the plate and in the field. He slashed .256/.339/.447 with 11 home runs and 124 wRC+ last year, and he has 9.0 career FRV despite finishing with -6.0 last year. He currently ranks as the #12 catcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (back) was pulled early from Thursday night's Grapefruit League game against the Houston Astros with back tightness, manager Carlos Mendoza told Will Sammon of The Athletic. The skipper called it a precautionary move to pull Alvarez from the game, and the catcher said he would have continued playing if it was the regular season. The oft-injured 24-year-old is not scheduled to play on Friday. Alvarez struck out in his only plate appearance of the game before being replaced. At the moment, it doesn't look like anything that will keep him from playing on Opening Day next week, but it's something to keep an eye on. He came into Thursday's game with a strong .381 average (8-for-21) with a homer and four RBI in nine Grapefruit League games. Alvarez has breakout potential because of his above-average power from the right side for a catcher, but he's also a pretty big risk because of his lengthy injury history. The Venezuelan catcher had 25 homers in 2023 but has 22 in the last two seasons combined, and only played in 76 games in 2025 due to injuries.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is unlikely to appear in the first week of the Grapefruit League as the team looks to slow-play him, according to Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic. Alvarez is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day in late March, but the Mets are going to be cautious with the 24-year-old backstop after he had thumb surgery at the end of last season. In addition to a torn UCL in his right thumb last August, Alvarez also got a late start in 2025 due to a left-hand fracture. The injuries limited the Venezuelan catcher to 76 games in his fourth year in the majors. In 277 plate appearances for the Mets, Alvarez hit .256/.339/.447 with a career-high .787 OPS, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and 32 runs scored. Alvarez's injury history is concerning, but he'll be the team's primary catcher, and he's pretty intriguing for his power upside at the cost of a backup fantasy catcher.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez said that he lost around eight or 10 pounds in the offseason by focusing on his nutrition, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. Alvarez also worked with director of hitting Jeff Albert and will be keeping the batting stance he re-adopted after returning from his demotion to Triple-A Syracuse in 2025. The 24-year-old Venezuelan backstop was sent to the minors to work on his swing last year, and after he returned, he hit .276/.360/.561 with eight home runs in his final 40 games. The Mets are hoping that he can pick up where he left off this year. Alvarez finished 2025 with a .256/.339/.447 slash line, .787 OPS, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and 32 runs scored in 76 games with the Mets. He suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb in August and also missed the first few weeks with a left-hand fracture. Durability concerns are obvious, but he's a starting catcher with plenty of pop in a strong Mets' lineup. Alvarez will be a low-cost No. 2 fantasy catcher with plenty of bounce-back appeal.

As expected, New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) will have surgery in the coming days to fix the sprained UCL in his right thumb, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez played through the injury in September as the Mets tried to push for the final wild-card spot in the National League. They ultimately came up short, and now Alvarez will have offseason surgery. Since he's having the surgery right away, Alvarez should be healed up and ready to go for the start of spring training in mid-February and for Opening Day in 2026. The 23-year-old backstop suffered the injury in late August. It was a trying season for the Venezuelan catcher, and he was demoted to the minors before his injury to work on some things as a hitter. Upon his return, he hit .230 (14-for-61) with four homers and eight RBI in September while playing hurt. Alvarez still has above-average pop for a catcher, but he's been injury-prone in his time with the Mets.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (cramps) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Alvarez reportedly felt cramping in his lower half during Wednesday's game. As a result, Alvarez will take a seat on Thursday, but will hopefully only miss one game. Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned that Alvarez is available off the bench. That being said, Alvarez is likely dealing with a minor issue and should be considered day-to-day. Luis Torrens will draw the start behind the plate and bat sixth on Thursday.