2 years agoNew York Mets catcher and top Mets prospect (per MLB Pipeline), Francisco Alvarez, slashed .260/.374/.511 with 27 home runs, 78 RBI, and 22 doubles over 411 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. After his promotion to the Mets in the thick of the 2022 pennant race, Alvarez posted a modest .167/.286/.500 slash line with one homer over five games (12 AB). Although James McCann has moved on to Baltimore, the Mets resigned catcher Tomas Nido and signed free agent catcher Omar Narvaez this past offseason. These moves almost guarantee that Alvarez will begin the 2023 campaign in Triple-A Syracuse. Down in Triple-A, Alvarez will be able to refine his defensive skill set and work on his approach against righties where he slashed only .178/.331/.327 over 101 Triple-A ABs versus righties in 2022. Once promoted, Alvarez should stay with the Mets and serve as their primary catcher. With a current ADP of 417, Alvarez is worth a flyer as a late-round pick in deep mixed leagues, not to mention NL-only formats. He is one of the safest prospects stashes for redraft managers. Barring a total offensive catastrophe or injury, he is sure to be back in Queens by mid-season with a low barrier to regular playing time. Managers who draft Alvarez and wait for his promotion will be rewarded with solid counting stats and a solid on-base percentage, despite his propensity to chase and strike out which will limit his otherwise lofty ceiling.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller