Mets Rising Star Doing Something No Other Catcher Is Doing As Rookie

The New York Mets may be having an extremely disappointing season but that doesn't mean it's all bad. 

One of the biggest bright spots for the Mets so far this season has without a doubt been rookie catcher Francisco Álvarez. The 21-year-old took nabbed the Mets' starting catcher job this season and certainly has lived up to the hype.

Álvarez is just 21 years old and yet he currently leads all big league catchers in home runs with 21 long balls. The young backstop has played in just 84 games so far this season and yet he's leading both the American League and National League catchers in home runs. 

New York entered the 2023 campaign with World Series aspirations but things never seemed to fall into place. The Mets struggled out of the gate and never were able to truly get their footing. Now the Mets' future plans are in limbo. New York now is rumored to be eyeing the 2025 or 2026 seasons as its next chance at contention. Even with all of the negativity the 2023 campaign has brought, Álvarez's performance certainly is a welcomed sight. 

Álvarez is under team control for the foreseeable future and won't hit free agency until 2029. The Mets -- who already are the biggest spenders in baseball -- are going to have to fill some gaping holes on the roster but should have comfort in the catcher position. Although the 2023 season has been a failure by many accounts, the fact that Álvarez has been able to display this type of skill at least should give some Mets fans hope for the future.