Emotional Mets player: I ‘cried,’ but ‘I’m going to keep pushing forward’ for a better 2025

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez said it best: 2024 was a “roller coaster.”
Expected to take an offensive leap in his second season, Alvarez’s aggressiveness stunted his growth and he endured several prolonged slumps. But he allayed defensive concerns by becoming an excellent game-caller and pitch-framer. An up-and-down season indeed, and one he reflected on with a heartfelt post on Tuesday.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for giving me the privilege of doing something I love,” Alvarez wrote on Instagram in Spanish. “Personally, this year was a roller coaster for me. It was incredible. Some very good days. Some very bad days. It was frustrating. I even cried. I was criticized. Other times, I was loved. 2024 was a beautiful year filled with a lot of emotions and I learned so much.
“I want you all to know that Francisco Alvarez will never give up, no matter what anybody says, no matter whatever happens. Whether you have confidence in me or not, I’m going to keep pushing forward.
“Thank you to all of my fans. I’m eagerly looking forward to 2025. I will prepare mentally and physically. I love you all and will see you soon. Nothing is going to stop me. I’m going to give it my all until I have nothing left.”
The potential remains great for Alvarez, who is only 22 years old. Despite a season in which he hit .237 with a 101 OPS+ and 11 home runs — and stirred conversation of getting benched in the playoffs — he is a former top prospect with huge power potential and the defensive progress that has given him a high floor. Alvarez has also proven to be a hard worker, even outside the baseball field; a native Spanish speaker, Alvarez conducted many of his interviews in English this season.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters Wednesday he‘s remains about Alvarez’s future.
“If we take it in its encapsulation, (he) had a nice season for a young catcher in his second season in the big leagues,” Stearns said. “I think he’s kind of where you would epect him to be from a developmental standpoint for a young, budding superstar.”
After a playoff cold spell in which he went 5 for 35, Alvarez closed the season on a high note, going 6 for 8 with a double, two RBIs and a walk. One of those outs? The one that ended the Mets’ season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.
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