The entire Mets squad has not yet fully come together for the offical start of spring training, but catcher Francisco Alvarez is already thinking about the ultimate goal at the end of the season.
“Win the World Series,” Alvarez said when asked about his personal goals for the season Monday on his first day at the Mets’ facility in Port St. Lucie. “That is going to be very good if I can win the World Series.”
Just 103 days ago the Dodgers ended last season with a World Series win in The Bronx. In 103 days time, the Mets will be playing just their 51st game of the regular season, a May 24 matchup with those same Dodgers.
But things will be different since the last time New York faced Los Angeles in the NLCS with Juan Soto now in the lineup.
“I think it’s going to be a great lineup,” Alvarez said. I think we are the best lineup in the whole baseball. We have Pete [Alonso], we have a little bit of everything.
“… We have hitting guys, we have power hitters. We have everything… we can fight with any team.”
On the rotation, Alvarez had more praise.
“Great guys, nasty,” he said. “I think we are the best rotations, one of the best pitching [staffs] in the league. I think we’re going to be very good.”
Another addition will be a healthier Kodai Senga, who was scarcely featured during the regular season and was clearly short of full strength in the postseason.
“I’m very happy he’s healthy,” Alvarez said. “It’s going to be better than last year with Senga in the rotation, he’s nasty and he’s going to help the team a lot.”
On a personal level, the 23-year-old said he is coming off of his “best offseason.” When asked why, the young catcher, speaking with a broad smile said, “Because I make a little change.”
What change was that? “Hitting, catching, mentally,” he said, before adding, “I think I worked a lot on my [mentality] part, I think that’s the more important [aspect], so my mind is going to be way stronger than last year.
“So, I think getting some mentally gains, I think that was the key for this year for me.”
Alvarez admitted that he struggled mentally last season, and the way he approached the offseason to see those mental gains was to “be positive every day.”
“I think last year I lose my mind for a little bit, I think it’s normal, I think everybody has those moments,” he said. “If I have bad moments this year, I think it’s not going to affect me like last year.”
In addition to the mental side, Alvarez said he made some mechanical adjustments during offseason work with a hitting coach.
“I made a lot of adjustments, I’m gonna do a lot of new things. It’s going to be way different,” he said letting out a slight laugh. “I really trust what I’m doing, I really like what I’m doing.
“My bat is no more on my shoulder, I’m not going to do the tap again, I’m going to do a little less leg kick.”
Last season Alvarez sustained a thumb injury in April (in a game against the Dodgers, of course) that required surgery and seemed to hamper his ability at the plate after he returned from time on the shelf. But after coming back from what he called his “worst year” since signing with the Mets, he says he is feeling “way stronger right now” and his thumb isn’t going to be an issue.
“Last year was my worst year and a little bit tough, but I think this year is going to be great,” he said, adding about the thumb, “This year I have no excuses for nothing.”
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