Parking Lot Vibes

Morning Dose: Tuesday, February 11

☀️ Good Morning:

During a 55-game stretch last summer, which is more than 1/3 of the season, Francisco Álvarez averaged a strikeout per game, hit .188, and collected only eight extra base hits, two of those homers.

And yet, during that time, the Mets went from a team scratching and clawing their way back to relevance, with as many wins as losses, to one firmly in the playoff picture, 13 games above .500.

“Last year was my worst year and it was a little bit tough,” the young catcher told reporters on Monday. “But I think this year is going to be great. Last year I lost my mind for a little bit. I think that’s normal. Everybody has to move past those moments. If I have bad moments here I don’t think it’s going to affect me.”

Mets fans lost their minds when their favorite team went on a spectacular run that catapulted them into the playoffs and all the way to the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.

On a day cameras captured players making their way to the practice fields from the Port St. Lucie parking lot as a kind of parade to the beginning of the baseball season, there are plenty of storylines to consider about the 2025 Mets.

One that shouldn’t be overlooked is the maturation of Mr. Álvarez, the 23-year-old catcher who has proven to be an adept gam manager behind the plate, and whom the projection systems expect to re-discover his power after losing it following a thumb injury last season.

If Álvarez takes the next step as a power hitter, his opening salvo about the Mets’ lineup may ring true.

☕️ Grab your coffee for your morning dose of Mets Fix!

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🌴 WELCOME BACK: We are still a few days away from the first official workout of the 2025 season, but that didn’t stop several players from arriving to Port St. Lucie on Monday.

67 players will eventually arrive to camp with hopes of making the next calendar year the best of their professional career.