May wasn’t the greatest month for the New York Mets, who went just 14-15 in 29 games, but they did see a few encouraging performances. Pete Alonso maintained a historic home run pace with another 10 long balls to exit May with 20 homers while Kodai Senga, Max Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco brought some stability to the starting rotation. At the end of the day, however, the player most worthy of Met of the Month honors for May was rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez.
Despite rumblings that he could be sent back to the minor leagues when the Mets’ catchers were fully healthy, Alvarez took the starting job and ran with it once Tomas Nido went on the injured list with dry-eye syndrome. Alvarez hit .292 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs in 22 games, giving the Mets better offensive production out of the catcher’s spot than they have received in years. The Mets also saw Alvarez deliver in clutch spots, including a huge game-tying homer against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 17 that helped them complete a dramatic comeback against the team with the best record in baseball.
Alvarez’s strong month did help him survive the roster crunch as the Mets waived Gary Sanchez and designated Nido for assignment today, leaving him and Omar Narvaez as the team’s primary backstops. It is an exciting time to see what the 21-year-old Alvarez can do for the Mets as he displayed some of his superstar potential during May.
Previous Mets Of The Month:
April: 1B Pete Alonso
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