Francisco Alvarez transforms his game, poised to explode offensively in 2026 after a dominant second half. Get ready for a powerful breakout.
The New York Mets have a star-studded roster that’s looking like it can compete with anybody, with spring training getting underway. After a complete shakeup of the roster, the beginning of the 2026 campaign will be very telling in how the Mets will fare come postseason time.
The attention may be more focused on the new stars, such as third baseman Bo Bichette, right-handed ace Freddy Peralta, or even rookie right-hander Nolan McLean, but New York is still reliant on the rest of the squad to take them to the postseason after missing out last fall.
Catcher Francisco Alvarez is one of those players that the Mets are counting on as their new faces adjust to Queens. In a recent Bleacher Report article from Joel reuter, Alvarez is predicted to be New York’s breakout hitter for the 2026 season.
As is the case with many players in the offseason, Alvarez’s story has been about his conditioning and about dropping about 10 pounds, bringing him down to about 235. Assuming that means the 24-year-old will be more agile on the diamond in 2026, Alvarez is in a great spot to build off his great second half of 2025.
After the All-Star break, Alvarez took his OPS from .652 to .921, hitting 18 extra-base hits and batting in 21 runs in 41 games. It was enough to land him an OPS+ of 122 for the year – the best in his four-year career.
What Alvarez doesn’t provide behind the plate, he makes up for with his bat. He ranks near the top of the league in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and barrel percentage. Despite an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Alvarez was on pace for 23 home runs and 51 extra-base hits if he had played a full 162-game season.
He was one of baseball’s top prospects before his first full season in the majors in 2023, but he still hasn't had the breakout campaign that lives up to the hype that's surrounded him for years.
Entering 2026 in better shape and considered in good health after an offseason of recovery, Alvarez could finally blast onto the scene as one of the game's most dominant catchers, even if he’s again below average on defense.