Francisco Alvarez Impressed in 2025 Debut

Friday nights was filled with drama for the New York Mets.

A missed call by Alfonso Márquez resulting in a triple play, a four-run rally in the top of the eighth to give the Mets a late lead, and a blown save and poor defense in the bottom the ninth, leading the Washington Nationals to walk off the Mets.

Whew, that was a lot. But something that may have been lost in all this fanfare was the return of Francisco Alvarez.

The catcher may have missed the first three weeks of the season with a fractured hamate bone, but reminded us all of his ability on the field Friday.

At the plate, Alvarez displayed the raw power of his bat. The catcher lined a single up the middle against Jake Irvin at 109 miles per hour, registering his first hit of the season in the fifth inning.

Then behind the dish in the second inning, Alvarez fired a strike at 85.5 miles per hour with a 1.83 pop time to second base to throw out José Tena attempting to steal base.

It was an impressive showing for Alvarez in his 2025 debut. He impacted the game on both sides of the ball, and quickly reminded us how valuable he is to the ballclub.

Sure, we all know how great Alvarez is. But with the 18-7 start, early heroics from Luis Torrens, and seven-game winning streak, somethings get lost in the rearview mirror.

Hopefully for the Mets, Friday night was just a precursor to what Alvarez will provide over the course of the season. The major concern heading into the season for Alvarez was the fractured hamate bone, which is an injury known to linger and prevent power.

Those concerns, however, may have vanished with the 109 mph single by the catcher in the fifth, along with the home run he hit in Binghamton while on a rehab assignment.

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