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Francisco Alvarez Signs to Play In Australian Winter League

By Michael Mayer

October 2, 2020 No comments

Photo by Ed Delany, MMN

The Sydney Blue Sox announced that Mets top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez has signed to play with them this winter in Australia.

Blue Sox manager Shane Barclay is excited about having the talented catcher, “What an honour it is to be entrusted with the Mets Number 2 prospect in this upcoming season…Alvarez has already displayed the power bat and great defensive arm that he was signed for. We can’t wait to see Francisco’s skills on display at the Blue Sox this year.”

Alvarez, 18, hit .312/.407/.510 with 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 26 RBIs in his first 42 pro games in 2019 between the GCL and Kingsport Mets.

With no minor league season, the Mets sent Alvarez along with other top prospects 3B Brett Baty, 3B Mark Vientos, RHP Matthew Allan, and SS Ronny Mauricio to Brooklyn to get action at the alternate site.

Players and coaches participating in the Mets alternate site were in sync with their praise of the young catcher “he’s a beast” and “the real deal”.

The Blue Sox schedule begins on December 18th this year. For fans looking to watch Alvarez, last year some games were shown on Facebook and ESPN+.

Alvarez will have an interesting teammate with the Blue Sox, former big league slugger Manny Ramirez has signed to play with Sydney.